Love and Loyalty
by Red Hardy
Summary: There’s never been any question of where the Hardys’ loyalties lie – friends, family and upholding the law. But when loyalties come into conflict with each other, Joe finds himself facing off against his brother and father for the woman he loves.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This story is part of my AU series and takes place about a month and a half after _At All Costs_. Having said that, it's not absolutely necessary to read the previous stories in the series before starting this one, as far as understanding what's going on; however you might get a few spoilers for previous stories. If anyone does want to read the others first, the order the stories were written in is on my profile page. :-)

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 1**

With the click of a button, twenty-four-year-old Vanessa Bender saved and closed the computer graphics file she had just completed. The striking ash-blonde beauty sat back and waited for the computer to finish. Vanessa smiled as her eyes fell on the framed photo she kept on her desk at work. Leaning forward, she picked up the picture of her fiancé, Joe Hardy, and stared into his piercing blue eyes that always seemed to sparkle with laughter. Given his head-turning good looks and outgoing, fun-loving personality, Vanessa thought the blonde-haired love of her life could have any woman he wanted and she felt blessed that he wanted her.

"Only nine more months and we'll _finally_ be married," she murmured to the image staring back at her.

Vanessa thought briefly of the turmoil they had endured the past year but only for a moment, mindful of the promise she and Joe had made to each other. They agreed that the last, painful year would stay in the past where it belonged. To make certain the demons had been exorcised for good, the young couple had turned down all the invitations they had received from family and friends to ring in the New Year. Less than two weeks earlier they had stayed home choosing to welcome the New Year alone together.

_"Our year,"_ Joe had whispered to her just as the clock struck midnight.

'_So far so good,'_ Vanessa thought.

Placing the photo back in its customary spot on her desk, she sighed contentedly. The first two weeks of the New Year had been quiet and peaceful, as Joe and Vanessa planned for their upcoming winter vacation – a Christmas gift from Joe's parents. World-renowned private investigator Fenton Hardy and his wife Laura had surprised not only Joe and Vanessa, but Joe's older brother Frank and his wife Callie, with an all-expenses-paid week at their favorite ski resort. Vanessa knew it was no accident that this trip coincided with the one-year anniversary of the night she had been raped, and once again felt incredibly lucky. Not only had she found Joe and fallen in love with him, but she got a second family in the process who loved her just as much as her own mother did. In the six years she and Joe had been together, she had come to think of Laura Hardy as a second mother and Fenton Hardy as the father she never had. Getting an 'older brother and sister' in Frank and Callie had been an added bonus.

Vanessa had quickly learned that Joe and his brother shared an exceptionally close relationship and understood if she wanted to be included in Joe's life, Frank automatically came as part of the package. Luckily, Vanessa had taken to Frank immediately and become quite fond of both him and Callie. Although only one year older than Joe and Vanessa, Frank and Callie had taken it upon themselves to 'watch over' the younger couple, something that had been instrumental in getting them through the past year – and some of the worst moments of their lives. Sharing their ski vacation with Frank and Callie would make it even more special.

"Vanessa, there's a Kara Lidster on the phone for you." The voice of Cohen Enterprises' receptionist coming through the intercom brought Vanessa out of her reverie. "Should I put her through?"

"Kara Lidster?!" Vanessa exclaimed both shocked and delighted. "Yes!"

Up until Vanessa had moved to Bayport shortly after her seventeenth birthday, she and Kara had been best friends. Growing up together in New York City, they were inseparable from the day they met in kindergarten, through grade school, junior high and the first two and a half years of high school. After Vanessa's mother Andrea, had packed up and relocated to the small seaside town of Bayport, Vanessa and Kara had stayed in touch for a while, but as time passed, life seemed to get in the way. While Vanessa thought of her friend often, their contact had dwindled to exchanging birthday and Christmas cards. Thrilled at the prospect of resuming an old friendship, Vanessa scooped up the phone.

"Kara?!" she said excitedly.

"Hi, Van!" Kara replied with equal enthusiasm.

"Wow, it's been forever since we've talked! To what do I owe the honor?"

"I…just missed hearing from you." Kara sounded just a little too lonely.

Vanessa tempered her enthusiasm as she sensed something wasn't quite right with her old friend. "I miss you, too."

"So…you still with that guy you met in high school? Joe? The one who wanted to be a private detective?"

"Mm-hmm," Vanessa confirmed, the happiness evident in her voice. "In fact, we're engaged."

"Oh, Van, that's great! Congratulations! When's the big day?"

"September 24th. Don't worry, you're on the guest list. No matter how long it's been, I couldn't get married without you there, K," Vanessa said fondly, using the childhood nickname she'd given her friend.

"I can't wait." Kara sounded almost wistful. "So did Joe follow through and become a private detective like he wanted to?"

"He sure did. In fact, he joined his father's business," Vanessa said, wondering why Kara was suddenly so interested in Joe's choice of career.

"What about you? Are you still working at that graphics firm?"

Vanessa hesitated, not having told Kara about the rape or the aftermath, including her change of employers. "I'm still working in graphics but with a different company. A friend of Joe's started it while he was still in college and it really took off. I'm in charge of the entire graphics department!"

"Very impressive. Sounds like you really love it."

"I do. Now tell me about you?" Vanessa left the question open-ended. When she heard nothing but a few sniffles in response, Vanessa knew she'd been right about her friend. "Kara," she said softly, "what's wrong?"

Kara was now crying openly. "I'm sorry, Van. I'm in trouble… big trouble. I didn't know who else to call. Please Van, I need your help…"


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you so much to all who reviewed and thanks to those who added this story to their alerts and/or favorites. :-)

One more 'informational' chapter to set things up (I admit, they are not my favorites to write or read but they are a necessary evil) and then we'll see the boys make an appearance in the next chapter. Thanks for hanging in!

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 2**

"Kara, you know I'll help you any way I can, but first I have to know what's wrong," Vanessa replied, wondering what could have her friend so upset.

"I…I've been arrested," Kara choked out.

"_Arrested_?! For what?" Vanessa was incredulous.

"Embezzlement."

"That's insane!" Vanessa cried out. "You're the most honest person I know! There has to be some mistake."

"There _is_ but no one believes me."

"Okay," Vanessa said, a little calmer. "Start from the beginning and tell me everything."

"I've been working at BRG Investments here in the city ever since I graduated from college. They offered me the position even before I finished school. It's one of the most prestigious and well-respected investment firms in the country. I worked my way up pretty quickly and I'm now an assistant to one of the senior VP's.

"Three days ago a New York City police officer and a couple of Federal agents came into my office. They started asking me questions about transfers of clients' money that were supposedly made from my computer to some Swiss bank accounts in my name. I had no idea what they were talking about and I told them so. Then they pulled out a warrant for my arrest! They said over the past two years I had embezzled over three million dollars from client accounts and transferred it into these Swiss bank accounts! Van, I swear I don't know what they are talking about!

"I'm out on bail, but I've lost my job, I have no income…Van, I'm scared. My public defender said with all the evidence they have against me it's a slam-dunk. He keeps telling me to give back the money and they'll go easy on me…" Kara was speaking faster and faster, obviously starting to fall apart.

"Whoa…wait…stop!" Vanessa finally interrupted, her head spinning. "Why do you have a public defender, K? I know you – even in high school you were a financial wizard. You must have enough in savings, investments…_something_…to hire a good lawyer."

There was a very long silence making Vanessa wonder if Kara was still there. She heard a muffled sob and realized there was a lot Kara hadn't told her yet.

"Kara…" she said softly, verbally nudging her friend to continue.

"Oh, God, Van, I've made such a mess of my life…"

Vanessa listened in stunned silence as Kara recounted the last few years of her life. Three and a half years earlier, while vacationing in Europe she met Jean duMonde, a handsome, charming man who made his home in a small town in France. After a whirlwind romance, they married and he accompanied Kara back to the States. Jean immediately got a job and showered Kara with gifts. Although he also worked full time, he took charge of the cleaning, cooking and single-handedly ran the household. Since Kara worked in an investment firm, he offered to handle all their personal finances. He told Kara since she dealt with money all day long at work, he didn't want her to have to deal with it home too and Kara readily accepted his offer.

Kara purchased a house for them, bought her new husband a car and changed all her credit cards, bank accounts and financial investments to joint accounts so Jean could have ready access to them. For three years everything was perfect – Jean treated her like a queen and she was the envy of all her friends.

Then one day she went out of town on a week-long business trip. While she was gone, Kara spoke with Jean several times a day. He repeatedly told her how much he missed her and couldn't wait for her to get home. When she arrived home at the end of the week, she found an empty house, completely devoid of furnishings and a note from Jean saying things weren't working out and he was leaving her. It took only a few minutes online for Kara to find out he had cleaned out all their joint accounts, run every single credit card up to the limit, took his car and disappeared. Since everything had been in both their names, he had committed no crime in the eyes of the law.

"Van, the waiting period for him to apply for citizenship was three years after we married. The day after our third wedding anniversary we went to the INS office so he could apply. Less than two months later, he was awarded permanent U.S. citizenship. It was two weeks later when I went on that business trip… he used me just to get his citizenship and I fell for it!" Kara sobbed into the phone. "I really loved him, Van, and he _used_ me! God, how could I be so stupid?!"

"Kara, you are _not_ stupid," Vanessa tried to console her friend. "You're a victim."

"Oh, it gets even better. When he left the bills were overwhelming. I felt like I was drowning trying to pay everything back. I tried to declare bankruptcy and the judge said I could but it had to be Chapter 13 bankruptcy. I still have to pay back every cent Jean _stole_, I just get the rest of my life to do it. I literally don't have two cents to my name," Kara finished bitterly.

"Oh, man, K. I don't know what to say. I need a minute to process all this."

"Process _this_ while you're at it. I live in a cracker-box, one room, studio apartment in a neighborhood that could generously be described as 'chancy'. I make a great salary – at least I did until three days ago – but almost every penny goes to pay off my debts. Once I pay everyone else, buy food and pay the rent, I'm lucky if I have enough money to go to the movies once a month. Now, you know why I needed a public defender."

"I'm so sorry, K." Vanessa had no idea how to comfort her friend.

"You know me, Van. I might have the world's worst judgment when it comes to men, but I would never steal. _Never_!" Kara said vehemently.

"I know," Vanessa quickly agreed. Kara was without a doubt the most honest person Vanessa had ever known.

"I'm so ashamed to even ask you this. I feel like I'm suddenly coming out of nowhere and using our friendship but I have no one else to turn to. You're my last hope. Even my own public defender doesn't believe I'm innocent! He keeps telling me to give him the account numbers where I have the money stashed and he can cut a deal for me. I can't give back something I don't have!" Kara sniffled and drew in a shaky breath. "Someone else stole that money, but no one believes me, Van. God, I hate to ask you this but… could you… would you… do you think your fiancé would help me? Would… would you ask him to find the person who really stole the money – and framed me for it?"


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you so much bookworm, Special Agent Ali, lexifisher, natdawg, Polaris and MissMe113 for the reviews on chapter 2! :-)

Thank you to those who have added this story to their favorites and/or alerts and to everyone who is reading. Hope you are enjoying it.

A final thanks for your patience in getting the first two 'informational' chapters out of the way to set up the story. And now… _"The boys are back in town, the boys are back in town, the boys are back, the boys are back…"_ I'm sure I'll have that song stuck in my head all night! :p

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 3**

As Vanessa drove home, she was still in a state of shock at how much her friend had endured in less than four years.

'_What about what __**you've**__ endured in less than __**one**__ year?'_ Vanessa reminded herself. _'But you had people who loved you to help you through it…Kara's had no one…until now.'_

Although Vanessa didn't promise Joe would help her without his consent, she did say she would talk to Joe about it that night. It was that moment when Kara's voice lost the desperate pleading note and Vanessa thought she'd heard something that resembled hope. Buoyed by the sound, Vanessa encouragingly told Kara that Joe was most caring person she'd ever met and rarely, if ever, turned down someone in need. By the time they hung up, Vanessa could tell her friend now felt she had a small glimmer of hope.

As she turned into the parking lot of her apartment complex, Vanessa suddenly got a chill. Pulling into a space, she turned off the car and sat there, shivering. It took a moment but she finally realized why – Kara's story was much too similar to what Joe had been through almost one year ago. Joe had been accused of murdering the man who raped her and most people had believed it, without even hearing his side of the story. Recalling the trial and the toll it had taken on Joe, she vowed to do everything possible to help her friend avoid the same fate.

Getting out of her Jeep, Vanessa walked into the building and climbed the single flight of stairs to the second floor. As she opened the door to the apartment she shared with Joe, her tall muscular fiancé came bounding down the hall, cell phone in hand and relief in his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Look, she just came in, okay?! Keep your shorts on! We'll be there in ten minutes, tops," Joe said to the person on the other end. Rolling his eyes, he amended the estimate. "Okay, okay, fifteen minutes. Yeah, I'll keep it under ninety. Bye."

Joe flipped the phone shut, tossed it on the couch and scooped Vanessa up in his arms in one fluid motion. "Where have you _been_?!" His voice was slightly muffled as he buried his face in Vanessa's neck. "I was starting to get worried." Pulling back, he looked down into Vanessa's eyes and smiled. "Oh yeah…glad you're home. I missed ya." He finished by pressing his lips to hers.

A moment later when Joe finally released her, Vanessa was able to respond. "Sorry I worried you. And I missed you, too. Who was on the phone?" She headed for the bedroom to change out of her work clothes.

Joe trailed behind her. "Who do you think, Mr. Worrywart himself."

"Frank?" Vanessa said puzzled, and then whirled on Joe with a loud gasp. "Oh, my gosh! I totally forgot! We're supposed to go to their place for dinner tonight!" Looking at the clock on the bedside table she moaned loudly. "Oh, man we are soooooo late!"

Immediately, Vanessa began rummaging through the closet searching for something appropriate to wear to her future brother and sister-in-law's house. Chuckling, Joe flopped on the bed and watched her every movement. Vanessa scowled at him. "What are you laughing at?"

"Because we're going to be late and for once it's not _my_ fault!" he said as Vanessa emerged from the closet clutching a sweater and a pair of black jeans. Throwing them on the bed next to Joe, she quickly began changing her clothes. As she reached for the sweater, Joe grabbed it and held it just out of her reach.

Vanessa held out her hand. "Come on, Joe, Frank is already pissed as it is."

Joe lifted an eyebrow suggestively. "Why don't you come and get it." Reclining on the bed, he folded up the sweater, put it under his head and waited for his fiancée to try and retrieve it…

oooOOOooo

"So, why were you late? You never did tell me," Joe asked as he climbed into the driver's seat of his beloved black Mustang convertible and buckled his seat belt.

"Yeah, well, you _distracted_ me," Vanessa reminded him sardonically.

Joe grinned. "I didn't hear you complaining." He stole a kiss before pulling out of the parking lot and heading towards his brother's house.

Vanessa sighed heavily. "I got a phone call from an old friend. Kara Lidster."

"Weren't you two joined at the hip or something until you moved here?"

"Yeah. We kinda lost touch…something I regret now," Vanessa replied somberly.

"Why? Is she in some kind of trouble?"

"Big trouble…"

As Joe drove, Vanessa related Kara's depressing story, finishing just as they pulled into Frank and Callie's driveway. Joe turned off the motor and turned to stare at her, stunned.

"Wow! Guess she really did need to talk to a friend, huh?" he commiserated, reaching for his seatbelt.

"Joe, wait." Vanessa grabbed his hand to prevent him from getting out of the car just yet. "She didn't do it. It's just not possible. She's the most honest person I've ever met in my life. She's not capable of stealing _anything_."

Joe looked at her skeptically. "Van, you just told me every piece of evidence proves she did it. She had means, motive and opportunity." Joe ticked off the points on his fingers. "All the transactions can be traced back to her."

"Then where's the money?" Vanessa challenged him. "Don't you think if she had it, she'd gladly give it back to avoid prison?"

Joe shrugged. "Maybe she already spent it."

"On what? She lives in a dump and doesn't own a thing, thanks to that loser she married. She exists just to work and pay bills." Vanessa leaned in closer, staring at Joe beseechingly. "I didn't say you'd help her. All I said was that you'd talk to her, listen to her side of the story."

Joe stared at her and then sighed. "Do you really believe her?"

Vanessa replied without hesitation. "Yes, absolutely. Joe, I've seen her give back a test she got an 'A' on because the teacher missed an incorrect answer. I've been with her when she went back into a store because they gave her too much change and watched her give it back. She's not _capable_ of stealing."

Joe chewed on his lip for a moment. "Okay. I'll talk to her."

"Thank you!" Vanessa threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she repeated punctuating each exclamation with a heartfelt kiss.

Joe finally pulled her arms from around him and grinned. "We better get inside before I decide to distract you again…"

Emerging from the car, Joe walked to the other side and opened the door for Vanessa. Putting his arm around her, Joe pulled her close, mumbling something about body heat and the cold January air. As they stepped onto the porch Joe reached for the door, which suddenly swung open.

"Fifteen minutes?!" Frank Hardy exclaimed. He scowled first at his watch and then at Joe. "Try _forty_ minutes! Where _were_ you?!"

"We got a little sidetracked." Joe winked and brushed past his brother. "Hey, Sis, we're here!" he called out walking into the foyer.

"It's about time." Callie Hardy's voice, tinged with amusement, floated out from the dining room. "Frank was getting ready to call out the National Guard."

"My fault," Vanessa said as Joe helped her out of her coat. "I got tied up on a phone call at work. Forgive me?" She batted her eyelashes at Frank.

Frank rolled his eyes. "You're almost as bad as him. But yes, you're forgiven." He accepted a peck on the cheek from Vanessa.

"See, I told you he'd forgive us," Joe smiled, as Vanessa headed for the dining room to help Callie.

"I forgave _her_," Frank corrected him. "_You_ have to earn your forgiveness," he told his brother sternly, "which you can do by helping me finish getting dinner ready. Come on." He grabbed the collar of Joe's shirt and dragged him, whining and complaining, into the kitchen.

Joe sniffed appreciatively as they walked into the kitchen. "Mmmm, Italian." Snatching an olive out of the salad, Joe hopped up and took a seat on the edge of the counter, watching his brother bustle about the room. "Your famous lasagne?" he guessed.

"Yup." Frank pulled a loaf of garlic bread out of the freezer, placed it on a cookie sheet and slid it into the oven. He tossed an egg timer at Joe. "Eight minutes. So why was Vanessa late getting home from work? Phil's a pretty easygoing boss," Frank asked, referring to their childhood friend Phil Cohen, for whom Vanessa now worked.

"Nothing to do with work," Joe answered as Frank slapped his hand away from the salad bowl, foiling the attempted theft of a few more olives. Joe fiddled with the timer for several seconds before setting it for eight minutes. Putting it down next to him, Joe picked up the cheese grater, having decided to amuse himself with that instead. Whirling it around in a circle, Joe began to relate what Vanessa had told him about her friend.

Frank listened with interest as he put the finishing touches on dinner, interrupting with a question every now and then. After removing the garlic bread from the oven, Frank moved to the refrigerator and pulled out a chunk of Parmesan cheese. He placed it on the counter next to a small bowl and then looked around, frowning.

"Lookin' for this?" Joe grinned, holding up the cheese grater.

"I thought you were supposed to be helping me!" Frank said aggravated, as he snatched the cheese grater away from his younger brother.

"I _am_ helping!" Joe cried out offended. "I set the timer, didn't I? Besides, I'm also supervising." He snagging another olive before Frank could stop him. "_And_ acting as official food taster to make sure you're not secretly trying to poison us," he finished popping the olive into his mouth.

Throwing Joe a dirty look, Frank steered the conversation back to Kara. "Sounds like there's a lot of evidence against her."

Joe shrugged. "I know, but Van is convinced she's been framed."

Frank stopped and eyed his brother. "What do _you_ think?"

Joe smiled and turned up the charm. "I thought if her story sounded even remotely true, my big brother the genius, would help me investigate."

"The things you do for love," Frank laughed.

"Is that a yes?" Joe leaned forward hopefully. "Because you love your little brother soooooo much?"

"That's a _see-if-you-come-up-with-anything-and-I'll-think-about-it_," Frank replied noncommittally.

"Oh, come on, Frank, you love a challenge."

"What firm did you say she worked for?" Frank asked distractedly, his forehead now creased in concentration.

"BRG Investments."

Frank's eyes widened slightly. "I don't suppose you've had time to run any of this by Dad, have you?"

"No, Vanessa just asked me like twenty minutes ago," Joe said warily. "Why?"

"Do you know what the BRG stands for?" Frank asked with barely concealed amusement.

Joe was starting to get irritated. "No, what?"

"Bradford R. Galloway." Frank watched his brother, waiting for Joe's reaction. It didn't take long.

Joe blanched, staring at Frank wide-eyed. "Bradford R. Galloway? Brad Galloway? As in _Uncle_ Brad?" Closing his eyes, Joe groaned and lightly banged his head against the cupboard a few times. "_How_ do I get myself into these things…"

Hearing Frank snicker, Joe opened one eye to glare at his brother. "Are you absolutely sure about that?" he demanded. "I thought his company was called Galloway Investing. You _could_ be wrong you know. It's happened before… once…" Joe muttered as Frank laughed out loud.

"Sorry, bro. I'm positive. He changed the name several years ago. Kara stole money from-"

"_Allegedly_ stole," Joe corrected him.

"_Allegedly_ stole money from a firm whose owner, president and CEO is one of Dad's best college buddies." Frank chuckled, shaking his head. "Just let me know when you plan to tell Dad about this, okay?"

"Why, so you can offer me moral support and backup?" Joe asked hopefully.

"No, so I can get out of town!" Frank erupted in laughter at the chagrined look on his younger brother's face.


	4. Chapter 4

Many thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter. I think I replied to everyone. Hope you continue to enjoy the story. :-)

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 4**

Fenton Hardy listened, dumbfounded, as Joe explained who Kara Lidster was and her connection to both Vanessa and Brad Galloway, complete with apprehensive glances at Frank. He now understood why Joe seemed to be a little uneasy all morning and that Frank had obviously been filled in prior to Joe's little speech. As Fenton stared at his son in amazement, one thought swirled through his mind._ 'How does he get himself into these things?!'_

"Uh, Dad," Joe said anxiously, "could you say something? You're making me kinda nervous staring at me like that with your mouth open…"

"Sorry."

"So," Joe asked with another look in Frank's general direction, "what do you think?"

"To be honest, I was wondering how you manage to get yourself into these situations."

At Frank's burst of laughter, Joe slouched down in the chair. "Apparently it's a gift," he said sourly.

"Let me make sure I've got this straight," Fenton said. "Kara Lidster used to be Vanessa's best friend, but they've pretty much been out of touch since Vanessa moved to Bayport, other than the occasional birthday or Christmas card. During that time, Kara got a job with BRG and married a man she barely knew who it turns out used her just to get U.S. citizenship. Once he got that citizenship, he disappeared leaving her mired in debt.

"Four days ago, after an intensive investigation by both the NYPD and Federal authorities Kara was arrested and charged with embezzling three million dollars from BRG over the past few years. She calls Vanessa – out of the blue – tells her the whole story and says she's innocent and has been framed. She then asks if Vanessa would convince you to investigate and find out who really stole the money. She readily admits that was the only reason for her call and the evidence against her is overwhelming," Fenton reiterated, unable to contain just a hint of sarcasm. "Does that pretty much cover it?"

"Yes," Joe replied, obviously annoyed at his father's tone.

"And what exactly did you tell Vanessa again, in response to all this?"

"I said I would meet with Kara this afternoon and talk to her." Joe was defiant, this time leaving out the part where he said he hadn't promised he would investigate anything just yet.

Fenton looked at him for a moment before picking up the phone. Checking his address book, he dialed a number and waited for an answer.

"Hello, may I speak with Brad Galloway please? Yes, I'll hold." Having been put on hold, Fenton looked at Joe again. "We know Kara's side of the story. Now let's hear what Brad has to say about all this."

Frank sat silently watching the exchange between Joe and Fenton, noting the abrupt change in their demeanor. The once comfortable silence was now tense and Frank saw the same look of stubbornness mirrored in their eyes. Subconsciously, they had already drawn their battle lines and both were prepared to defend their position with a vengeance. He got the distinct impression things were about to deteriorate rapidly.

Once Brad came on the line and Fenton made small talk with his friend, Frank noted Joe began shifting restlessly. When the reason for the call was established and Brad was put on speakerphone, Joe's fidgeting increased dramatically.

Brad began by explaining Kara's history with his company. She had been singled out and actively recruited by many prestigious investment and banking firms during her senior year in college, having gained the reputation as a financial wizard. She accepted an entry-level position with BRG and began work immediately upon graduation. Kara had been promoted faster than anyone in the company's history and was now the assistant to one of the Senior Vice Presidents – or had been until her arrest four days earlier.

As he continued speaking, the story of the missing money began to unfold. A major client wanted to revamp his entire portfolio and asked that Brad look at it personally. In doing so, he noticed a pattern of unauthorized transfers in addition to the legitimately scheduled transfers. Every few months an additional amount was deducted, but rather than being used to purchase stocks or bonds, it was diverted to a Swiss bank account. The amount was small enough and timing of the transfers was spread out in such a way that they would not be noticed unless the entire account was pulled and scrutinized.

Now having his suspicions raised, Brad pulled all the accounts handled by this particular Senior Vice President, whose assistant just happened to be Kara. Every single account had the same type of transfers set up with a set amount of money going to various Swiss bank accounts. Since the money was not always taken from the same account every month, it wasn't too difficult to cover up the theft. Further investigation revealed Kara was initially responsible for setting up the computerized money transfers each month on all the accounts in question.

When Brad realized what was going on he immediately called the police who in turn brought in the FBI to assist. It was quickly determined Kara's supervisor had no knowledge of the illegal transfers, which added up to almost three million dollars over the course of the past three years. The investigation had taken four months and been done in secret so as not to alert the perpetrator she had been discovered.

Kara had initially set up every transaction from her own computer, using her code name and password. In keeping with the company's security policy, code names and passwords were not to be made known to anyone other than the individual using them. Employees were required to change them every three months, commit them to memory and were not permitted to store them or write them down anywhere, making it almost impossible for anyone else to have access to them.

"I really didn't want it to be her, Fenton," Brad said sadly. "I had very high hopes for her with my company. In fact, her supervisor and I were talking about grooming her for a higher position in the company when this all came to light. I guess the bills her husband left her with finally got to be too much." He sighed. "You know, I wish she would have come to me about that. I would have gladly arranged some kind of loan so she didn't feel as if she were drowning under the pressure – and didn't resort to theft to take care of it."

"Brad, do you think you could send over everything you have on her?" Fenton asked. "Being that she is a friend of Joe's fiancé, we'd just like to check it over ourselves… if you don't mind, of course."

"I don't mind at all. Personally, I'd be thrilled if you found something the police missed and discovered it really wasn't Kara. I just can't believe she'd do something like that. She's the last person in the world I would have suspected…" his voice trailed off. "Well, let me go and I'll have my secretary arrange to get everything sent to you."

"Thanks, Brad." Fenton ended the conversation a moment later after exchanging a few final words. He then called Sam Peterson, Chief of the NYPD and his former partner. Sam also agreed to send over everything he and the FBI had compiled on the case.

After concluding that call, Fenton looked at Joe intently. "You can talk to Kara this afternoon. By tomorrow we'll have everything the police and the feds have on her. If they really have what they say, we'll see that she's guilty and you can drop it." That said, he picked up a pen and opened a folder on his desk in a silent signal he considered the matter taken care of.

Frank winced, knowing that would not go over well with Joe. Glancing at his brother, Frank saw a flash of anger in his eyes as he responded to their father.

"That's it?" Joe asked tersely. "Subject closed?!"

Fenton looked at his younger son, obviously beginning to lose patience. "I know she's an old friend of Vanessa's, but it's such an open and shut case. Why do you think it needs to be investigated?"

"I didn't say I was investigating, I _said_ I was just going to talk to her," Joe replied, obviously annoyed. "Just so I'm clear, are you telling me I won't be permitted to investigate if _you_ decide she's guilty based on what you see tomorrow?" He asked, unable to contain the antagonism in his voice.

Fenton's eyes narrowed as he glowered at Joe and all Frank could hear was the voice of a family friend echoing in his ears. _"Your father's temper can make Joe look like a pussycat."_ He held his breath, waiting to see how his father would respond.

"Just so _I'm_ clear, are you telling me you're going to investigate this further _regardless_ of what the evidence shows?" Fenton challenged.

Joe visibly tensed as his father stared at him. Frank's eyes darted back and forth between the two and he wondered if he should call his mother into the office to help him referee. Then Joe seemed to regain control of his infamous temper.

"I'm going to keep an open mind – something you always taught us to do," Joe said evenly.

'_Not exactly diplomatic but at least he didn't explode.'_ Frank relaxed a little though he could see his father flinch slightly at the dig.

"This is the NYPD and the Federal government, Joe. Brad said they've been investigating this for months. They wanted to be absolutely certain they had the right person before they made an arrest. They have found nothing – _nothing_ – to indicate it was anyone other than Kara."

"And they've both been known to be wrong on occasion; occasionally even proven wrong by _you_."

Fenton threw the pen he'd been holding down on the desk, obviously angry. "Yes, but I always had something to start with! Something that didn't add up! You've got nothing other than the fact that Vanessa wants to help a friend – a friend who she hasn't heard from in six years and suddenly needs a private investigator, _gratis_, I might add."

"So what are you saying? I'm supposed to tell Vanessa to turn her back on her friend without even trying? Why? Because you say so? Because Brad Galloway happens to be one of your oldest friends? Well, Kara is one of Vanessa's oldest friends!" Joe shouted back, apparently having given up trying to control his temper. "I'm not a kid anymore, Dad. I don't need your permission to investigate anything!"

"Like that ever stopped you even when you _were_ a kid!" Fenton yelled, clearly shocking even himself the second the words left his mouth.

Frank held his breath as the silence suffocated all of them. Instinctively, Frank leaned forward slightly thinking he might actually have to physically restrain his brother.

Slowly Joe stood up, enraged but keeping it bottled up inside. He stared at his father for a long moment before he spoke in a low voice. "I'm taking the afternoon off. I have an appointment in New York City."

"Joe…" Fenton began, his voice tinged with regret, but Joe walked out of the room as if he hadn't heard. "I can't believe I said that," he groaned, leaning his head back in disgust.

Frank gave him a bemused look. "Not exactly your most tactful moment. Then again Joe did push your buttons."

Fenton leaned forward now, looking earnestly at Frank. "It's not that I don't want him to investigate. I just don't want him to investigate for the wrong reasons. I don't want him to feel obligated to do it if he's even the least bit uncomfortable, and I'm getting the impression that he's already made up his mind to do it - for Vanessa - regardless of what the evidence shows." He ran a hand through his dark hair nervously. "Think he'll accept an apology?"

"You know he will, Dad," Frank assured him. "But wait until tomorrow. It'll give him a little time to cool off."

"Always playing the peacemaker." Fenton shook his head and grinned. "Guess I should be grateful only one of you inherited my temper."


	5. Chapter 5

**Lexifisher:** ROTFL Joe getting some action – any kind of action! :p You and I definitely think along the same lines where Joe is concerned. ;-)

**Miss Fenway:** LOL! I figured I draw it out a little more in this story. Let them all think they were safe, at least for a little while. :p Here's another chapter for you to escape into for a few minutes. Hope things start getting better for you soon!

**Polaris:** Too true! The Hardy household would have imploded long ago if both Frank and Joe inherited Fenton's temper! Joe just makes it too easy to put him in these kinds of situations.

**Vee22:** Welcome! And thank you for the kind words! I'm glad you're looking forward to the 'head-butting' because there's plenty of it to come!

**Nicole:** Glad you're enjoying it so far! I got the temper in my family, too.

**Surreal Epiphany:** This is only the beginning for poor Frank! ;-)

Thank you all for the reviews!

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 5**

Vanessa glanced at Joe as they drove towards New York City. He'd kept up a steady stream of conversation peppered with jokes and wisecracks about the various wedding plans Vanessa tried to involve him in. Despite the smiles, she couldn't help feeling that something was bothering him._ 'No sense beating around the bush,'_ Vanessa thought, eyeing Joe once more. _'Might as well come right out and ask him.'_

"Joe, is something wrong?" Despite the mirrored sunglasses Joe wore, she could see him look at her for a split second before shaking his head ruefully.

He gave her a slight grin. "Can't put anything by you, can I?"

"No, you can't, so you might as well spill it."

"I told Dad about Kara." Joe sighed and stopped as if that were explanation enough, despite the fact that he hadn't told Vanessa about the connection between Fenton Hardy and Brad Galloway.

"And…" Vanessa urged him to continue, not quite understanding why that alone would make Joe so uneasy.

"Bradford R. Galloway – the 'BRG' in BRG Investments – he and Dad are old college buddies." Joe sighed again.

"What?!"

"I didn't realize it when you first told me because Uncle Brad-"

"_Uncle_ Brad?!" Vanessa cried out.

"Yeah, that's what we used to call him when we were little," Joe explained. He looked at his fiancée and couldn't help but laugh at the expression on her face.

"Why didn't you tell me any of this last night?" Vanessa fumed.

"Hey, I didn't realize BRG was Uncle Brad's company when you first told me!" Joe tried to defend himself. "Apparently, he changed the name of his firm a few years ago. It used to be Galloway Investing."

Vanessa was still staring at Joe, open mouthed and wide-eyed. "So you just found that out this morning when you told your Dad?"

"Um…not exactly." Joe reddened slightly. "Frank told me last night."

"_Joe_!" Vanessa exclaimed, annoyed. "Why didn't you tell me then?!"

"Because I had already promised you I'd talk to Kara. Just because Uncle Brad owns the company she worked for wasn't going to make me change my mind. I gave you my word," he explained, knowing he probably should have told her the second he found out. "Besides, there was no sense in both of us worrying about it."

Vanessa stared at Joe, suddenly contrite. Joe had obviously realized the previous evening that even talking to Kara would cause tension between him and his father, yet it had never entered his mind not to follow through. He'd promised Vanessa he would at least talk to her friend, and nothing would make him break that promise.

Reaching out, she took Joe's hand and held it gently. "Thank you. And I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted." Joe smiled and kissed the back of her hand.

"I bet your Dad wasn't too happy that you even agreed to see Kara," Vanessa mused.

"That's putting it mildly," Joe muttered, as the harsh words he and his father had exchanged only an hour earlier came back to haunt him.

Vanessa bit her lip in frustration. She wanted to tell Joe to turn around and go home, that this wasn't worth damaging the exceptionally close relationship he and Fenton had forged over the past year. Yet Vanessa was certain that if Joe didn't help Kara, she would end up in prison for a crime Vanessa was positive she didn't commit.

"Joe, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to cause trouble between you and your Dad," she said, disconsolately.

"Trust me, it has nothing to do with you, Babe."

"But if I hadn't asked you to help Kara, you and your Dad wouldn't be… fighting?" she ended, slightly confused. _Were_ Joe and Fenton fighting? Or just disagreeing? Or was one of them simply having a bad day?

"We're not fighting," Joe assured her. "I think we're just too much alike for our own good. Short on patience and long on stubbornness. Dad just hides it better than I do, most of the time anyway."

"Still, if I hadn't asked you to help Kara…"

"We would have found something else to disagree about. If for no other reason than to make sure Frank's diplomacy skills don't get rusty," Joe cracked. "Don't worry, it'll all blow over."

Vanessa gave Joe a half-hearted smile. She still felt guilty about causing friction between him and Fenton, even if Joe insisted it wasn't her fault; but loyalty to her childhood friend won out over the guilt. She quietly settled back and watched the passing scenery as they entered the outskirts of New York City.

…

As Joe got further into the city, he became mired in traffic and had to slow down considerably. He glanced at the address Vanessa had written down and frowned. Being familiar with the city, he knew Vanessa hadn't been exaggerating when she said Kara lived in a 'chancy' part of town. _'That's an understatement_.'

As the neighborhood streets seemed to deteriorate before his eyes, Joe noticed that Vanessa had shifted in her seat in an attempt to get as close to him as possible. Pulling into an empty space in front of Kara's apartment building, Joe turned off the car and surveyed their surroundings. Dingy buildings, each with a few boarded up windows lined the block. A few broken down cars, some with smashed windows and slashed tires stood along the street, alongside outdated cars that probably barely ran themselves. His shiny black Mustang stood out like a sore thumb among the junkers. Completing his quick surveillance, Joe's blue eyes narrowed as they landed on three teenaged boys huddled a few doors down, who were staring back at him intently.

"Wait until I come around," Joe murmured. He released his seat belt and got out of the car.

Walking around to the passenger side, Joe opened the door and helped Vanessa out of the car, immediately putting his arm around her. Automatically she pressed herself against Joe, trying to ignore the three teens who seemed to be sizing them up. Joe reached back with one arm and pressed the button to lock the car and turn on the alarm, staring at the three boys the entire time.

"Let's go." He led Vanessa into the dreary, rundown building in front of them.

Climbing the creaky old stairs, they reached the third floor and stopped in front of apartment 308. Joe reached out and knocked on the door noting the four different locks and shook his head thinking no one should have to live in that kind of fear. A muffled female voice came from the other side of the door. "Who is it?"

'_At least she's smart enough to ask before opening the door,'_ Joe thought as Vanessa responded.

"Hi, K!" Her voice was tinged with excitement. "It's me – Vanessa!"

The sound of locks rapidly being opened and thrown back greeted them and the door swung open. Before Joe could even get a look at Kara, she had flung herself on Vanessa and enveloped her in a bear hug.

As Vanessa and Kara stood in the open doorway hugging each other and giggling, Joe kept a watchful eye over his shoulder. Hearing the stairs creak indicating someone else was on the way up, he gently nudged the two girls into the apartment and shut the door behind them, locking two of the four locks. As the two friends separated, Joe got his first good look at Kara. Shorter than Vanessa by a good four or five inches, Kara had glossy black hair that hung to her shoulders, sleek and straight. Brilliant green eyes danced with laughter as she chatted with Vanessa but Joe could still see the unmistakable look of heartbreak in them; a look he'd become all too familiar with right after Iola Morton had died.

Joe stood by patiently as Kara and Vanessa had a reunion of sorts, talking and laughing, trying to catch up on six years in less than a minute. Out of habit, he looked around the room with a practiced eye, taking in the clean but sparsely furnished apartment. He walked towards the window overlooking the street and gazed out, noting the three teens had moved down a few doors to the building right next to Kara's and were eyeing his car appreciatively.

"Joe?" Vanessa called out.

Turning, Joe walked back to her side and smiled. "Joe, I want you to meet Kara Lidster," she said happily, and then turned to Kara. "Kara, this is my fiancé, Joe Hardy."

"Nice to meet you, Kara," Joe said warmly, shaking her hand. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Nice to meet you too, Joe. Can I take your coats?" Kara offered, looking from Joe to Vanessa.

"I thought we could talk over lunch," Joe suggested, wanting to get Vanessa – and Kara – as far away from this neighborhood as possible.

"Oh…uh…" Kara stammered.

Joe flashed his most charming smile. "Our treat. There's a new restaurant in the city I've been wanting to take Vanessa to. You'll be doing me a favor."

"Thanks," Kara replied gratefully. "Just let me grab my coat."

As Joe turned back towards the window, Kara grabbed Vanessa's arm and giggled softly, raising her eyebrows and giving Vanessa a thumbs up.

"Nice catch!" she whispered playfully before going to the closet to get her coat.

Kara returned a moment later. The three left the apartment and made their way back down to the street. Emerging from the building, Joe stopped dead in his tracks. Instinctively positioning himself directly in front of Vanessa and Kara, Joe stared at the three hard-looking teens who were now standing in front of his car and effectively blocking their way.


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you to lexifisher, Miss Fenway, natedawg, whashaza and daisymall for the reviews. :-)

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 6**

Joe stood at the top of the stoop and eyed the three teenaged boys trying a little too hard to look menacing. The apparent ringleader was as tall as Joe but even with a winter jacket on it was obvious he was not nearly as muscular as the youngest Hardy. The second boy was much shorter with an average build. The third was average height and quite stocky.

"If this goes bad, get back inside and call the police," Joe murmured to Vanessa who squeezed his hand in a silent reply.

Joe sauntered down the three cement steps to the sidewalk and came to a stop a few feet in front of the boys – close enough to launch an attack if need be, but far enough away to avoid an ambush. Joe appeared to be staring at the tall, skinny boy but behind his sunglasses his eyes were scanning the ground for makeshift weapons should they be needed.

'_Broken bottle…piece of a two by four…couple of rocks,'_ Joe thought assessing his choices. _'Cement sidewalk always comes in handy…'_

Joe felt confident he could eventually come out victorious if it came down to a fight; still, he slipped a hand into his jacket pocket and hoped the boys would believe he had some kind of weapon there without calling his bluff. "Can I help you with something?" Joe asked evenly.

The leader of the three slipped his sunglass down slightly and stared at Joe, although the other two were obviously avoiding his gaze. Joe stood his ground and never looked away. Glancing over Joe's shoulder, the boy gave both Vanessa and Kara a slow once-over.

…

Standing in front of the doorway, Kara watched silently. She was familiar with the neighborhood boys who, while not affiliated with any of the local gangs, had garnered their own reputation for petty theft and liked to think the local residents feared them. As the one boy eyed her and Vanessa lasciviously, Kara thought she heard a soft gasp from her childhood friend. Immediately, she narrowed her eyes, watching Vanessa carefully, noting the fear that had suddenly appeared on her face. She just now realized that when Joe had walked away from her, Vanessa had taken a few steps back so she was almost behind Kara and in very close proximity to the entrance of the building.

'_She's shaking!'_ Kara thought stunned. She recalled how they used to explore the streets of New York City almost every night as young teens, with Vanessa's slightly wild streak getting them into trouble on occasion. Was this the same girl? _'Obviously not,'_ Kara decided, and wondered what could have possibly happened to cause such a drastic change in her friend. The answer would have to wait as she heard the tallest of the three boys finally respond to Joe's query.

He glanced over his shoulder at the black Mustang before turning back to Joe. "Nice ride."

"Yeah, it is." Joe took a step forward. He smiled inwardly when the two shorter boys instinctively took a few steps back, leaving their 'leader' unprotected and vulnerable. "And we were just leaving so if you don't mind…" he let his voice trail off, indicating he wanted the boy to move out of the way.

Standing his ground a moment longer, the boy nodded once and stepped back out of the way. He then stopped and returned his envious gaze to the car.

"Let's go." Joe motioned to Kara and Vanessa. Despite knowing the teen was simply putting on a show for his friends and was no threat to them, Joe still positioned himself between the three boys, and Kara and Vanessa. Taking in Vanessa's slightly pale face and the trace of fear she couldn't really hide, Joe reached for her hand and guided her to the car.

Taking no chances, he used the remote to unlock the car, letting Kara open the door and climb into the backseat. He waited until he heard the door shut and the lock click, signaling that Vanessa was safely inside, before he made any move to get in himself. Still keeping a cautious eye on the three boys, Joe walked around to the driver's side and got in. Only when he was inside the car, did the three teens slowly walk away.

Locking his door, Joe glanced at Vanessa worriedly, hoping the encounter hadn't dredged up too many painful memories for her. "You okay, Babe?"

Vanessa turned to him, the last lingering fear draining away. She reached out and brushed a hand lightly across his cheek as she nodded. "I've got you right beside me so I have nothing to be afraid of," she replied smiling.

"And I always will be," Joe assured her, leaning over to kiss her.

In the backseat, Kara watched the exchange carefully. Vanessa had been scared – terrified, in fact – when the teenaged boy had leered at them. She remembered many times in their youth when Vanessa had responded in similar situations with a tough, sarcastic reply. Kara settled back for the ride._ 'I wonder what she's not telling me…'_

"Have they ever bothered you?" Joe asked as he pulled away, still watching the teens in his rear view mirror.

"Me?" Kara snorted. "No, they wouldn't waste their time and effort on someone who doesn't have anything worth stealing," she said bitterly, before continuing. "And that's really all they're about – petty theft. They like to think they're tough, but compared to the local gangs, they're pussycats."

Joe nodded silently, still wondering just how safe Kara was, living in the rundown neighborhood.

oooOOOooo

Over a leisurely lunch, Kara repeated the story she had told Vanessa the previous afternoon. Joe listened intently, stopping her frequently to ask questions and take notes. As he noticed the encouraging glances Vanessa would throw Kara's way, his heart tightened. Based on what Kara was saying and the evidence that had been compiled against her, he could find absolutely no justification to investigate any further. With a sinking feeling he knew if this were anyone else, he would politely decline the case; but this wasn't anyone else. It was Vanessa's closest childhood friend and despite Joe's personal opinion that more than likely she really was guilty, he was quickly coming to the realization he couldn't say no to Kara's request.

As the waiter took their dessert order, Joe put away his notes and sat back, watching Vanessa and Kara get caught up in happy childhood memories. He observed of his fiancée's reaction at rekindling an old and cherished friendship. _'She's practically glowing she's so excited. How can I say no?'_ He sighed inwardly, thinking of the confrontation with his father that morning. _'How can I say yes?' _Forcing a smile to his face, Joe ran a hand through his wavy blonde hair. _'And how __**do**__ I get myself into these things…'_

After another thirty minutes of laughing and reminiscing, the group finally prepared to leave.

"I just have to use the restroom before we go," Kara said, looking at Vanessa, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, yeah, I know…it's a chick thing." Joe grinned waving them both off. As he reached for his wallet, Joe kept a watchful eye on Vanessa until she disappeared into the restroom wondering when – if ever – he'd break himself of that habit.

…

The second the door to the restroom closed Kara whirled on her friend and grabbed Vanessa's arm.

"Oh, my God, Van. He is_ hot_!!!" Kara exclaimed breathlessly. "_WHERE_ did you find him and are there any more like him at home?"

Vanessa laughed at Kara's reaction to meeting Joe in person, although she wholeheartedly agreed. "I lucked out. He found me."

"So does he have a brother? And can you fix me up with him?" Kara requested only half-jokingly.

"Yes and no. He has an older brother, Frank, but he's happily married and hopelessly in love with his wife."

"That's okay, I'll take a younger brother."

"Sorry. There's just the two of them – Joe is the baby."

Kara shook her head and sighed wistfully as she turned and entered one of the bathroom stalls. "Is he really as nice as he seems?" she asked, the slightest hint of envy in her voice.

"Even more so." Vanessa smiled as she gazed in the mirror and touched up her make-up. _'I am soooooooo lucky.'_

"Why can't I have your luck when it comes to men…" Kara wondered reappearing beside Vanessa. Meeting Vanessa's eyes in the mirror, Kara couldn't help but remember all the nice guys Vanessa had dated in high school as compared to all the losers she seemed to attract.

"Don't worry," Vanessa hugged her friend supportively. "There's a really nice guy out there somewhere just waiting for you to find him."

Kara rolled her eyes. "If you say so." She finished washing her hands and the two left the restroom and returned to Joe.

"All set?" Joe put an arm around Vanessa and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Mmm-hmm." Vanessa wrapped one arm around Joe's waist and linked her other arm through Kara's. "Let's go."

As they drove back to Kara's apartment, the conversation was light and happy with Vanessa and Kara regaling Joe with stories of their exploits in junior high and high school. Joe simply listened and smiled, reveling in the sound of Vanessa's laughter and the happiness in her voice – a far cry from how they had started the previous year. As they pulled up in front of Kara's building, she unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the lock on Vanessa's door. "Thank you so much," she said genuinely grateful. "For lunch…for listening…for everything."

"Whoa, hold on," Joe ordered, turning around to face her. "We'll walk you up."

"Joe, that's really not necessary."

"Yes, it is," Joe insisted.

"Don't argue with him, K," Vanessa said teasingly, although there was an unmistakable note of pride in her voice. "He won't let you out of the car if he can't personally deliver you to your door and know that you are safely locked inside."

Kara blushed, unaccustomed to having anyone care about her safety. "If you insist."

"I do." Joe got out of the car and walked around to the other side.

Opening the door, he helped Vanessa out. Holding tightly to her hand, he reached down and released the seat, helping Kara out of the car all the while scanning their immediate surroundings for any sign of danger. With one arm tightly around Vanessa and the other resting lightly on Kara's back, Joe guided them into the apartment building and up the stairs to Kara's apartment.

His blue eyes swept the darkened hallway as Kara unlocked the four deadbolt locks and opened the door. Turning, she faced Joe and Vanessa, sadness filling her eyes once again. "Thank you both so much for listening," she said softly, her eyes shining brightly.

"Anytime." Vanessa reached out and hugged her friend tightly. "Next time, don't wait so long to call for help, okay?"

"Okay," Kara sniffled. Pulling back, she wiped at her eyes before looking at Joe. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Joe's heart went out to her, despite his misgivings about her guilt or innocence. "We'll call you tomorrow."

Kara nodded, thanking him once more for lunch before bidding them both goodbye. As the door closed, Joe and Vanessa stood and waited until they heard all four locks click into place before turning and leaving the building.

As Joe pulled out into traffic, Vanessa settled into her seat and looked at him. "So…what do you think?" she asked anxiously.

She had been with Joe long enough to know that other than her belief in Kara's innocence, there was no reason whatsoever that Joe should invest the time and effort in trying to help her. And had she not been Kara's best friend, Vanessa knew Joe wouldn't even contemplate it.

Joe stared out the windshield, uncharacteristically lost for words. The evidence was overwhelming and there was absolutely nothing to support Kara's claim that she had been framed – even Kara admitted that. Logically, Joe couldn't find one good reason to agree to investigate any further; and then he turned and looked at Vanessa.

Stopped at a red light, Joe stared at her and flinched inwardly. At first, he couldn't place the hauntingly familiar look in her eyes – the same look Kara'd had all during lunch – but it sent a chill down his spine. Suddenly he realized why it looked so familiar to him. It was the same look he'd seen in his own eyes in the days after he'd been arrested and charged with killing Vanessa's rapist – desperation. All the evidence had pointed to him and everyone had believed it without question, despite his protests of innocence and his repeated claims that Chris Taylor had framed him

'_Even Dad and Frank believed it at first…'_ While the pain had lessened considerably, it still hurt to recall those twenty-four hours when his father and brother had honestly thought him capable of murder.

"Joe," Vanessa said quietly. "I promised myself I wouldn't try to influence you but…" She faltered only for a second before plunging ahead. "Joe, I know in my heart she didn't do it. Please, say you'll help her… Please."

Joe stared into the huge blue-gray eyes, begging him to help.

"I know all the evidence says she did it and there's really no good reason for you to believe otherwise; but Kara says she _didn't_ do it and I believe her. I don't care what the evidence says." Vanessa gazed at Joe intently, hoping she could get her point across without having to say it out loud. She knew, almost a year later, it still hurt for Joe to think about it.

'_You believed in __**me**__, too, when no one else did,'_ Joe thought with a mixture of sadness and joy. He lifted Vanessa's hand to his lips and kissed it softly. "I'll look into it and see what I can find out."

Squealing with delight, Vanessa unsnapped her seat belt and launched herself on Joe in the confined space, smothering him with kisses.

"Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She punctuated each affirmation with a kiss just as she had done the previous evening.

'_Like I could ever say no to you,'_ Joe thought, enjoying a particularly lengthy kiss.

The sudden blaring of car horns forced the laughing couple apart.

"I think you better stay in your own seat," Joe warned teasingly, "You can be _very_ distracting."

"If you think that was distracting, just wait 'til we get home." Vanessa smiled seductively. "Then I can give you a proper thank you." She leaned over and whispered something in his ear.

As Vanessa pulled back and buckled her seatbelt once again, she glanced at Joe, who was now blushing every shade of pink in the rainbow. She laughed out loud before finally settling down into a comfortable silence. Gazing at Joe throughout the drive home, Vanessa thanked whatever higher power had brought them together and fervently wished they would do the same for Kara, leading her to someone just like Joe.


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you to everyone who commented and all those who are continuing to read. Hope you are enjoying the story. :-)

Love and Loyalty

**Chapter 7**

Joe lay awake staring at the ceiling, conflicting thoughts and emotions not allowing him to sleep. The obligation he felt to investigate out of loyalty to Vanessa, was warring with the rapidly building feelings of apprehension at the prospect of having to explain his decision to his father. While he was too stubborn to admit it out loud, Joe had to own up to the fact that his father had been correct in his assessment – there was nothing to indicate Kara had been framed other than Vanessa's fervent belief in her friend's innocence. Had this been someone who walked in off the street looking to hire the Hardys, Joe knew he would have voted to turn down the case. Wondering how in the world he could even begin to investigate objectively when he wasn't sure Kara was innocent, Joe heard Vanessa sigh softly and realized she too, was still awake.

"Something wrong?" Joe asked softly, rubbing her arm.

"I'm just worried about Kara. With no job and nowhere to go, she'll be stuck in that dreary apartment all day. It's not safe for her to even poke her head out the door. I'm just afraid she'll get so depressed she'll give up hope," Vanessa explained her fears to Joe. "I wish I could be there for her…in person."

Joe's response was immediate and adamant. "Oh, no. Absolutely not. You are _not_ going back to that neighborhood to visit her. Not a chance, Babe. Sorry, but it's way too dangerous."

"I agree with you, Joe, but if it's too dangerous for me, then it's too dangerous for Kara, also," Vanessa pointed out logically.

Joe bit his lip, silently agreeing with Vanessa but saying nothing. He had a gut feeling where this conversation was heading. When Vanessa propped herself up on one elbow and lightly began tracing his cheek with her finger, Joe knew he was right.

"Joe, would you mind if I invited Kara to come stay with us? Just for a little while? Until you find whoever set her up?" Vanessa asked persuasively.

Joe winced, grateful for the darkness so Vanessa couldn't see his eyes and know what he was really thinking. _'I'm still not convinced she __was__ set up. And Dad would go ballistic if he found out Kara was staying here.'_

"She could sleep on the pull-out couch in the office," Vanessa continued. Leaning down she kissed Joe's cheek and whispered in his ear. "I know it would lift her spirits to know someone cared about her and believed in her and at least she'd be safe."

'_Why are you even pretending to think about it?'_ Joe asked himself sarcastically. _'You know you're going to give in.'_

He pulled Vanessa back down and laid her head on his chest, running his fingers through her hair. "Whatever you want to do is fine with me, Baby." Glancing down, he saw Vanessa close her eyes with a contented smile.

"Thank you," she murmured, already starting to drift off to sleep. "I love you."

"Love you too, Babe," Joe whispered, kissing the top of her head.

As she fell into a peaceful sleep, Joe lay awake in the darkness. _'Great, how am I going to explain this one to Dad…'_

oooOOOooo

Joe hung up the phone just as Vanessa walked into the kitchen. "Okay, Kara can pick up the ticket at Penn Station," Joe explained, having just purchased a one-way train ticket from New York City to Bayport. "It's unreserved so she can take any train she wants."

Wordlessly Vanessa put her arms around Joe's neck and hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much. I'll pick her up on my way home from work." Vanessa hugged him a little harder, feeling almost guilty. Joe never denied her anything and she knew when she asked that this would be no exception. "I know you're not crazy about her staying here and we don't have to tell anyone if you don't want to," she said, understanding Joe was nervous about his father's reaction should he find out.

"Whatever makes you happy, Babe." Joe stroked her hair, then pulled away slightly and kissed her goodbye. "I'll see you tonight – both of you."

After one more lengthy kiss, Joe turned and headed off to work. Ten minutes later, he walked into the kitchen of his parents' home. While Frank and Joe had moved out years earlier, Laura still hadn't quite gotten used to the empty house. Sensitive to his mother's feelings, Joe made it a point to stop in and chat with her over a cup of coffee every morning before going into the office for the casual meeting with Frank and Fenton that usually started his workday.

Joe came up behind Laura and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Hey, Mom,"

"Hi, honey." Laura poured Joe a cup of coffee and refreshed her own.

Joe accepted the cup and followed his mother to the kitchen table, pulling out a chair for her before taking a seat himself.

"How's Vanessa?" Laura took a tentative sip of the steaming hot liquid. "I understand she renewed an old friendship."

"Dad told you, huh?" Joe grinned at his mother's diplomacy. _'Guess that's where Frank gets it from.'_

Laura smiled knowingly. "He mentioned it. He also mentioned he stuck his foot in his mouth."

Joe reddened slightly. "Yeah, well, I think I kinda goaded him into it. So, is he still mad at me?"

"He was never mad at you. He's just…" Laura stopped, searching for the right word, "concerned that you might be agreeing to help Kara for the wrong reasons. It's going to be a little hard for you to be objective."

"Ya think?" Joe said sardonically. He'd had the exact same feeling the night before while waiting impatiently for sleep to come.

"He – _we_ – just don't want you to kill yourself looking for something that might not exist. I know Vanessa believes in her friend, but six years is a long time, honey. People change," Laura said gently, covering Joe's hand with hers, "especially when life isn't exactly kind to them."

Joe sighed and nodded, agreeing with everything his mother said. He knew very well he could be looking for evidence that just wasn't there. "I promised Vanessa, Mom. I don't want to let her down."

"I know you don't, sweetheart," Laura replied with mixed emotions. She sometimes felt Joe and Vanessa's blind devotion to each other was both a blessing and a curse. Leaning forward, she kissed him on the cheek. "If there is even a shred of evidence out there to prove Kara is innocent, I know you'll find it," she finished not wanting to add to the mental burden Joe was obviously carrying, trying to keep everyone he loved happy.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Joe got up and put his coffee cup in the dishwasher. "I hope you're right."

"I know I am," Laura winked at him. "After all, you learned from the best."

"Thanks for the coffee." Joe kissed her on the cheek once more as he passed by. "And the ego stroke."

He walked out of the kitchen and down the hall. Turning left, he used the corridor that connected the house to the offices of Hardy and Sons Investigations. Passing through the reception area, Joe noted the empty desk and wondered where his father's long-time secretary was. Another left took him past the conference room to his father's office at the end of the hall. As he approached the open door he heard the muted voices of Frank and his father. Stopping just shy of the door, Joe took a deep breath and tentatively walked inside.

"Morning," he said quietly. Although his mother gave him the impression his father regretted what he'd said the day before, Joe was still nervous.

"Morning, bro," Frank greeted him. "Pull up a chair." He waved at the empty seats around the conference table where he and Fenton were seated.

"Is it safe?" Joe eyed his father, having decided humor was the best course of action.

Fenton chuckled as he shook his head, grateful Joe had such a forgiving nature. "Yes, it's safe. I'm not wearing my flavored shoes today so hopefully I'll be able to keep my foot out of my mouth. Sit down." He pulled out the chair next to him.

Relieved, Joe hustled over to the table and sat down next to his father, who turned to look him in the eyes. "Joe, I'm sorry for what I said yesterday. It was uncalled for. I was out of line."

"Thanks, Dad, but I owe you an apology too. I took a cheap shot and you just reacted. Truce?" Joe extended his hand.

"Truce." Fenton gripped Joe's hand tightly and shook it.

"A Kodak moment if ever there was one," Frank cracked, relieved at the thought of not having to referee another argument between Joe and Fenton.

Joe turned to his brother and stuck out his tongue, with Frank replying in kind.

"How old are you two, again?" Fenton laughed, pushing a stack of papers towards Joe.

Joe leafed through them. "Are these from Chief Peterson or Uncle Brad?"

"These are from Brad; everything his lawyers have put together so far. If you're going to be looking for something to clear Kara, you need to know what you're up against," Fenton said, indicating he understood Joe intended to look into the matter further, regardless of what the evidence showed.

Joe nodded as he scrutinized the first page. He didn't miss the unspoken message that if Fenton believed the evidence clearly proved Kara had stolen the money, he would not be taking it any further. Surreptitiously, Joe glanced at his brother, wondering which side of the fence Frank would land on – or if he'd choose to remain neutral, not wanting to be drawn into a battle of wills between his brother and father.

oooOOOooo

By late afternoon, Frank, Fenton and Joe had meticulously gone over every scrap of paper – twice. As had been expected, all the evidence pointed to Kara with nothing even remotely indicating she could have been framed. The police and Federal agents who worked the case had obviously taken great pains to make sure they had the right person. Dejected, Joe stared at the arrest warrant in his hands as his mother's words played over and over in his head.

_"I know Vanessa believes in her friend, but six years is a long time, honey. People change." _

Feeling his father staring at him, Joe finally looked up. "I promised Vanessa, Dad," he said quietly.

"I know you did, son." While Fenton was proud of the fact that Joe wouldn't back down even from him, he was also concerned. The New Year had seemed like a fresh start for Joe and Vanessa – a time for them to put the pain of the past year behind them and look forward to the happiness they both deserved. Yet Fenton knew deep in his heart, that as long as Vanessa believed Kara was innocent Joe would never stop looking for something to clear her – regardless of what Joe believed. As far as Joe was concerned, this wasn't about Kara at all; it was about not breaking a promise he made to the woman he loved, and failing to clear Kara of the charges lodged against her would do just that.

Joe gathered up the papers and carefully placed them back in the appropriate folders and envelopes, then gave them a mumbled goodbye and walked out the door, shoulders slumped. Fenton knew the odds were good that Kara really had stolen the money and was simply using Vanessa – and Joe – to buy some time, possibly to come up with a plan to flee the country and avoid prosecution. If that turned out to be true, it would mean Vanessa had been betrayed and used by an old friend; and that she unknowingly allowed Joe to be used, too. Knowing Vanessa the way he did, Fenton knew she would be devastated and couldn't help but worry about what kind of toll that would take on both her and Joe.


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry for the delay in posting. The site kept insisting this chapter wasn't in the 'correct format' and refused to upload it for three days. :-/

To Miss Fenway, hbmom, MissMe113, Polaris, lexifisher and whashaza – thank you for the reviews! :-)

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 8**

Vanessa opened the door to the apartment and held it for Kara as she walked in carrying a small suitcase. She had picked Kara up at the Bayport train station on the way home from work and the two had been talking excitedly ever since, as if the six-year lull in their friendship never happened.

"Sorry about the accommodations," Vanessa said apologetically, showing Kara into the room where she'd be staying. "We needed an office more than a second bedroom."

"Are you kidding?" Kara looked around the room, smiling. "Compared to the dump I call home this is the Taj Mahal."

"Let me give you the mini-tour." Vanessa motioned for Kara to follow and after proudly showing off the cozy apartment, Vanessa ended the tour in the kitchen, noting the blinking red light on the answering machine. Leaning against the counter, she pressed a button and listened to the single message.

"Hi, Vanessa. This is Millie in Dr. Jackson's office. Just wanted to remind you that you need to come in for your final blood test sometime in the next two weeks. Give us a call and we'll schedule an appointment for you. Thanks."

"Blood test? What, are you pregnant or something?" Kara joked.

'_If only…'_ Vanessa thought sadly, staring at the machine. Kara's comment had reminded her how much she and Joe hoped to be parents one day. _'And if this one comes back negative too, we will be someday,'_ she tried to reassure herself.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's okay," Vanessa said as she began to walk away.

"Van, what's the matter? You can tell me," Kara prodded her, grabbing Vanessa's arm as she passed by.

With a loud gasp, Vanessa pulled away and backed herself up against the counter, a look of utter terror on her face. She let out a soft whimper as Chris Taylor's face flashed before her eyes. Within seconds, she felt her clothes being torn and a body pressing down on her as the flashback came out of nowhere.

"Van? Vanessa?" Kara approached, speaking in a soft gentle voice. "Whatever it is, you're okay, Vanessa. Look at me, honey. You're right here in your own apartment safe and sound." Kara continued murmuring soothing words of compassion until Vanessa seemed to come around and focus on her friend.

"Sorry," Vanessa mumbled, still trembling, desperately wishing Joe was there.

"It's okay." Kara got a glass of water and offered it to her friend.

Vanessa gratefully accepted and took several mouthfuls. "Guess you want to know what that was all about, huh?" she asked, embarrassed.

"Only if you're comfortable telling me."

Vanessa stared at her recalling the easy closeness they shared so many years ago. Thanks to the sensational article that had appeared in _The Bayport Times_ the day after Joe's arrest, virtually everyone in Bayport knew Vanessa had been raped. In fact, she couldn't recall ever having to say the words aloud until now. Looking at Kara, she swallowed hard and blurted it out before she lost her nerve. "I was raped."

Kara said wide-eyed. "Wha…what?! Oh, God, Van, I'm so sorry! I had no idea!"

Vanessa shrugged, studying the floor as the old feelings of guilt and shame came rushing back. "How would you?"

"When did it happen?"

"About a year ago." Vanessa glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall. _'Eleven months, two weeks, three days…'_ she thought shifting her gaze to the clock, _'…and twenty four minutes.'_

"I've gotten a lot better, really…" Vanessa stammered, "but the flashbacks… sometimes they come out of nowhere. I don't always know what's going to trigger them." Her voice trailed off as tears burned her eyes. "God, Kara, I thought I was past this," she choked out, burying her face in her hands.

Stepping forward, Kara enveloped Vanessa in a comforting embrace, rubbing her back gently. "Shhh…it's all right, Van. It's okay. I'm no expert but I think recovering from something like this is an ongoing process; one that takes a little longer than a year."

Vanessa sniffled, nodding her head against Kara's shoulder. "I know…but sometimes I just get so tired of hiding it from people. Everybody thinks I'm 'better' now and that I've forgotten about it," her voice dropped to a whisper, "I'll never forget. Never." Vanessa started to pull away and Kara quickly released her.

Reaching out, Kara wiped a tear from her friend's face and looked at her intently. "I may be out of line here but Joe isn't one of those people, is he?"

"What?!" Vanessa gasped loudly. "Oh, no! No! He would _never_ think something like that! In fact, he's the only reason I made it through those first few months without losing my mind – or killing myself," she finished in barely a whisper.

Absently wandering into the living room, Vanessa sat on the couch, a faraway look in her eyes. Kara followed carrying a box of tissues and sat down next to Vanessa, silently waiting for her friend to continue. Years might have passed, but their friendship was as strong as ever and she recognized the signs. Vanessa needed to talk and needed someone who would listen without judging.

"Joe was absolutely amazing," Vanessa began recalling those first few weeks after she had been raped. Terrified, she had refused to leave the apartment or let Joe do so, except on rare occasions. "To this day, I don't know why he didn't just walk out on me. I was so angry and confused and scared. I took everything out on him. Anger, rage, guilt, shame. He never had a moment's peace." Vanessa sniffed, remembering the total stranger she had become.

"Every day was exactly the same – I would yell at him one minute, beg him to hold me the next, and then push him away two seconds later. I wouldn't leave the apartment and forbade _him_ to leave, too. I was terrified of being alone. I was so afraid he'd come after me again." Vanessa took the tissue Kara offered and dabbed at her eyes. "I was so ashamed I refused to see anyone but my Mom. I wouldn't let any of our friends come visit. I cut Joe off from his family, all his friends and yet every single night when we went to bed, he told me how much he loved me, how thankful he was I was still there with him. And here I was, treating him like dirt.

"I can't tell you how much I hated myself. I kept thinking if I had just waited for Joe like we had agreed on that morning, it never would have happened. I was convinced it was all my fault." Vanessa turned tear-filled eyes on Kara. "I just felt so…_filthy_, like I'd never be clean again. I was convinced Joe would never want to touch me again and scared he would try before I was ready."

"I bet that didn't happen, did it?" Kara asked softly.

"No." Vanessa smiled. "He never brought it up. Not even once. Just waited until I told him I was ready."

"That's easy to believe. Anyone can see how much he loves you."

"Yeah," Vanessa whispered, nodding. "I know I'm the luckiest woman in the world. He was so patient and kind and loving, even when I didn't deserve it."

"You didn't deserve what happened to you. Joe understood that and he didn't blame you," Kara observed. "So, did they catch the guy?"

Vanessa hesitated, debating whether or not she should tell Kara the whole story and quickly decided against it. It was one thing to share her own fears and insecurities with her best friend; it was something else entirely to betray Joe's trust and reveal the demons he still battled with on a regular basis.

"He's dead."

"At least he can't hurt anyone else."

"Never again," Vanessa whispered, as a look of immense sadness filled her eyes.

Unaware she had kept so much bottled up inside despite her therapy sessions and Joe's unconditional love and endless support, Vanessa felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She reached out and hugged her friend tightly, thankful for the release. Remembering the promise she and Joe had made to each other on New Years Eve she smiled, pushing all thoughts of Chris Taylor into the past where they belonged.

"Joe should be home soon." Vanessa glanced at her watch as she stood up. "How does pizza sound for dinner? Prito's Restaurant makes the best in town."

"Sounds great."

"Pizza it is then. Joe would have pizza every day, for breakfast lunch and dinner," Vanessa said, laughing over her shoulder as she walked into the kitchen and reached for the phone, "_if_ he could get away with it."

Moments later the two girls heard a key in the lock on the door indicating Joe had indeed arrived home. Kara watched Vanessa break into a huge smile and race for the door.She laughed softly as Vanessa practically threw herself on Joe the second he walked in and then discreetly walked down the hall to her makeshift bedroom, giving them a few moments alone.

"Mmmm…you smell good," Joe murmured, inhaling deeply as he held Vanessa close. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." Vanessa smiled, pulling away from him slightly.

"What's wrong?" Joe asked, immediately alarmed by Vanessa's red-rimmed eyes. "Why were you crying?"

"Oh, I told Kara about the rape," she answered softly.

"Everything?" Joe asked a little warily.

"No. Just that I was raped and the guy is dead. I didn't go into any details," Vanessa assured him. _'Not about that part anyway.'_

"Mind if I ask why you decided to tell her?" Even if Kara was an old friend, they hadn't seen each other in six years and Joe didn't think that was the kind of thing that would come up in casual conversation.

Vanessa sighed and looked at the answering machine. "There's a message from Dr. Jackson's office, reminding me I have to go in for my final blood test before the end of the month. Kara made a joke about it, I tried to brush it off, one thing led to another…" She looked at Joe uneasily. "I had a flashback."

"Are you okay now?" Joe asked, clearly worried about her.

"Fine. Honestly." Vanessa gave him a bright smile. "Kara was really great. We talked a little bit. I got some stuff out that I didn't even know I was holding inside all this time."

Joe pulled Vanessa close to him and held her tightly. "I'm glad she was here, then." Vanessa stood for several moments enjoying the security she always felt in his arms, before she slowly pulled away. Joe followed her into the kitchen. "So what's for dinner?"

"Pizza. I called Prito's."

"Do I need to go pick it up?" Joe asked as Kara appeared in the entryway. "Hi, Kara."

"Hi," Kara smiled.

"Nope, they're delivering." Vanessa began pulling glasses and plates from the cupboard in preparation for dinner.

"Joe, can I talk to you for a minute?" Kara asked almost shyly.

"Sure." He led her into the living room and sat on the couch.

Sitting in the chair next to him, Kara looked at Joe nervously. "I… I wanted to thank you – for everything. Agreeing to help me; letting me stay here; buying my train ticket." She listed everything Joe had done for her in less than twenty-four hours, quickly adding, "I'll pay you back. It just might take a while."

Joe waved his hand dismissively. "It was a gift, no paybacks necessary."

Kara stared at him for a moment and then reached out and squeezed his hand. "You are just as sweet as Vanessa said." She grinned as Joe blushed furiously. "I just want to make sure you know how grateful I really am. Vanessa told me about your dad and Mr. Galloway being old friends. I hope that's not causing any friction between you two."

"Dad and I love friction," Joe cracked, hoping Kara wouldn't realize her words struck so close to home. "We live for it."

"Well, thank you again. It's been a long time since anyone actually cared about me," Kara said softly. "You have no idea what it means to know there are at least two people in the world who believe in me."

Joe's eyes widened for a split second, just as the buzzer sounded announcing the pizza had arrived.

'_Saved by the bell.'_ He felt a little guilty that Kara honestly thought he believed she was innocent. Joe pressed a button and spoke into the intercom. "Yes?"

"Prito's pizza," a familiar voice replied.

"Tony?!" Joe asked, surprised. Tony Prito, a childhood friend of the Hardys', was the manager of Prito's restaurant and the owner's son.

"Yeah, it's me."

"So you've finally been demoted to delivery boy, huh?"

"Just buzz me in, Hardy. Your pizza is getting cold!"

Joe did as Tony requested and a moment later there was a knock on the door. Joe pulled it open and leaned against the doorframe grinning at Tony who stood holding two steaming hot pizza boxes in his hands.

"Hey, Van, get the camera! I gotta get a picture of this!" Joe called out.

Tony rolled his eyes and pushed past Joe. "You know one day that mouth is gonna get you in big trouble."

"Tony?!" Vanessa exclaimed with a laugh. "Why are you delivering pizza? Did you get demoted or something?"

"You know, you two deserve each other," Tony said sarcastically. "It's a good thing you found each other because no one else–" He stopped mid-sentence and stared at the raven-haired beauty who had just appeared behind Vanessa.

As Joe and Vanessa exchanged a bemused glance, Tony wordlessly shoved the pizza boxes into Joe's hands and approached Kara.

"Hello. I'm Tony Prito. I don't believe we've ever met," he said smoothly, extending his hand towards her. "I'm an old friend of Joe's. Vanessa kind of inherited me when she hooked up with that joker." He smiled charmingly, jerking his head towards Joe but never taking his eyes off Kara.

Kara's smile lit up her striking green eyes. "Nice to meet you, Tony Prito. I'm Kara. Kara Lidster. I'm an old friend of Vanessa's."

"See how much we have in common already?" Tony winked, moving a little closer to Kara, who laughed softly, obviously enjoying Tony's undivided attention.

"Should I get the fire extinguisher?" Joe murmured to Vanessa, mischievously. "I can feel the heat from those two all the way over here."

"Leave them alone." Vanessa batted him on the arm and then led him past the apparently star-struck couple and into the kitchen. "Tony, can you stay for a while or do you have to get back to work?" she called out over her shoulder, winking at Joe.

"I can stay," Tony replied quickly, his voice fading away slightly.

"And people call _me_ a flirt," Joe said wryly, as he turned and saw Tony leading Kara to the loveseat. "I've got nothing on him!"

"You _are_ a flirt. A notorious flirt," Vanessa confirmed, kissing him on the cheek. "You're just a flirt who's spoken for. Tony's a free man since he and Debbie broke up last month."

"Free and on the prowl, apparently," Joe observed with a devilish grin as he added another place setting to the table.

Over the next three hours, the four young people chatted amiably. Joe and Tony related some of their more entertaining childhood exploits to Kara. She then turned the tables and revealed some of the 'adventures' she and Vanessa had shared growing up, leaving both Joe and Tony staring at Vanessa open-mouthed and in shock more than once.

"See, you're not the only one who had an exciting childhood," Vanessa said mysteriously, leaning over to kiss Joe on the cheek. "Why don't we get this cleaned up." She nudged Joe, indicating they should leave Tony and Kara alone again.

Kara immediately stood up and began gathering up the dirty plates. "Please, let me help."

"No, Joe and I will take care of it." Vanessa shooed Kara away. "You and Tony go sit in the living room. We'll be out in a few minutes."

"Playing matchmaker, are we?" Joe teased as he carried a pile of plates into the kitchen and began rinsing them in the sink.

"I didn't have to do anything. Sparks were flying left and right the second Tony laid eyes on her." As she placed the glasses on the counter top, Vanessa turned to Joe and impulsively threw her arms around his neck. "You were soooooo right. This _is_ going to be our year," she said happily. "My blood test will come back negative, you'll find out who framed Kara and who knows maybe some of our good luck will rub off on Tony and Kara." She sighed. "For once Kara would have a really nice guy."

Joe held her silently, momentarily stunned by her words. He wasn't even sure Kara _had_ been framed and he certainly didn't want one of his best friends to get too intimately involved with her until they knew the truth. But what sent a chill down his spine was the thought of Vanessa's final blood test and the totally irrational fear that she had just jinxed the result by linking it's outcome with the result of his investigation of Kara. What if he couldn't prove her innocence? What if she _wasn't_ innocent? Joe knew it was illogical – absurd even – but suddenly he couldn't shake the feeling that if he didn't prove Kara had been framed, Vanessa's final blood test would come back positive – and they'd be faced with the devastating news that she had HIV.


	9. Chapter 9

I know I just posted a chapter yesterday but it was three days late thanks to a glitch with this site, and I want to stay on schedule (Mondays and Thursdays). So here's hoping that I don't get the same 'document is not compatible' message… crosses fingers and goes to upload…

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 9**

After the dishes were done, the foursome sat in the living room chatting amiably. With his arm draped around Vanessa, Joe listened to the other three and observed the interaction between Tony and Kara. He realized Tony was quickly becoming smitten with the outgoing young woman and wondered if that was such a good thing. Instinctively wishing to protect his friend, Joe wanted to warn Tony about the charges lodged against Kara but was uncertain if it was the right thing to do.

'_What if she really __is__ innocent… what if she's not?'_ Joe thought, torn. Deciding it wasn't his place to mention it – at least not yet – Joe remained silent and focused on Vanessa and how good it felt to hold her in his arms.

Watching Tony and Kara he had to admit they made a great looking couple, and seemed to have a lot in common. Kara's quick wit meshed perfectly with Tony's sardonic sense of humor and Joe found himself hoping Kara really was innocent. Listening to Vanessa's unrestrained laughter, Joe realized how good it would be for Vanessa to have her old friend back in her life. It had been almost a year since he'd heard that kind of happiness in her laugh or seen her so completely relaxed in the presence of anyone other than himself. For that reason alone, he hoped Kara really had been framed and he could find the evidence to prove it.

A while later Tony checked his watch and announced, quite reluctantly, that he had to leave. Kara walked to the door with him and the two engaged in a whispered conversation. Ignoring the occasional chuckle from the star-struck couple, Joe excused himself, explaining to Vanessa he wanted to look at the files he'd brought home before going to bed.

Retreating to the bedroom, Joe began to re-examine the evidence in earnest. However, it wasn't long before his concentration waned as the muffled voices of Kara and Vanessa carried down the hall and proved to be very distracting. Hearing Vanessa break out in unbridled laughter Joe smiled, enjoying the sound. _She sounds so happy. Just like she always used to before __it__ happened.'_

The voices and laughter suddenly grew louder as Kara and Vanessa walked down the hall. Joe's heart sank a little as Vanessa's words carried into the room.

"Don't worry, K. Joe is the best detective in the world," she enthused. "He won't quit until he finds out who really stole that money!"

Joe groaned inwardly. _'She has so much faith in me! What if I can't find anything to prove Kara's innocent?'_ He suddenly shot up as a new thought struck him. _'Or what if I find __more__ evidence to prove she's guilty?!'_

A moment later, Vanessa walked into the bedroom and sat down next to him, eyeing the multitude of papers spread out on the bed. "How's it going?" she asked hopefully. "Find anything that looks promising?"

Joe hesitated for a split second, wondering if the truth would destroy her faith in him. He smiled wanly. "No, not yet. But I've just started digging."

Much to his surprise, Vanessa leaned in and kissed him – long and hard.

"What…what was that for?" Joe asked breathlessly.

"Just a little token of my appreciation," she winked. "It means so much to Kara, knowing that at lease _we_ believe in her, even if no one else does."

Watching Vanessa walk into the bathroom and close the door, Joe's guilt level jumped off the meter. As he glanced over the list of money transfers once again, Joe realized the more he examined the evidence, the less certain he was of Kara's innocence.If not for Vanessa's unwavering faith in her friend, Joe wasn't sure he'd bother with the case.

Feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders, Joe prayed there was something out there that everyone else missed – and that he would find it. If not, Vanessa would be crushed and he'd feel solely responsible. Groaning, he leaned back against the headboard and ran his hands through his hair. He didn't necessarily believe in Kara yet, but he couldn't possibly admit that to Vanessa. It suddenly dawned on him how much he enjoyed being up on the pedestal Vanessa had put him on. She often joked that he was her hero, yet Joe knew behind the teasing was a measure of truth.

Sadly, he wondered how far from the pedestal he'd fall – and how much it would hurt – if Vanessa found out that he didn't have nearly as much blind faith in Kara as she did. An even more unsettling thought immediately followed – when all was said and done, would he still be Vanessa's hero?

oooOOOooo

The next morning Joe sat draped over a chair in his father's office, staring out the window. Blocking out the sound of his father's voice, Joe thought about the epiphany he'd had during the night. He'd slept restlessly and had finally awakened for good after being haunted by the look he'd seen in Kara's eyes when they had first met.

Desperation. Hopelessness. Despair. He knew that look and the feeling that went along with it, having experienced all of them, firsthand. He'd never felt as alone as he had during the short, yet agonizing, time when his own father and brother had decided he was guilty of murder. They had chosen to believe the so-called evidence instead of his heartfelt pleas of innocence. It was a feeling he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy – and one he would never forget.

'_There's gotta be something everyone else missed. Vanessa is a great judge of character. She couldn't be that off base about Kara,'_ Joe mused. _'And she couldn't possibly fake that kind of desperation.'_

"…and then Joe will climb to the top of the Brooklyn Bridge and jump off." Fenton Hardy looked hard at his younger son who obviously hadn't heard a word he'd said about the new client the firm had just acquired. "Is that all right with you, Joe?" he asked, annoyance clear in his voice.

As Joe snapped his head around, Frank saw the glazed look in his eyes and knew Joe didn't have a clue what their father had just said. _'Great, here we go…'_ Frank thought disgustedly. He slouched down in the chair hoping to avoid the verbal fireworks he knew were only seconds away.

"Yeah, sure, Dad. Whatever you think is best." Joe smiled agreeably.

Clamping his mouth shut, Fenton glared at Joe angrily. Practically biting his tongue off, Fenton stood and walked to the very same window that had captured Joe's attention seconds earlier. He stared out at the gray landscape of winter, which did nothing to diminish the irritation he felt.

Joe looked at his brother nervously._ 'What?! What'd I do?!'_

Frank rolled his eyes in disgust and shook his head before turning away from Joe. "I can handle it, Dad…"

Having lost the battle with his temper, Fenton turned on Frank and bellowed, "_NO_! Absolutely not! The last time I checked, _he_ still worked for this firm!" Fenton jabbed an accusing finger in Joe's general direction, all the while keeping his eyes locked on Frank.

Joe automatically came to his brother's defense. "Hey, back off! If you're mad at me, say so! But _don't_ take it out on, Frank!"

Fenton whirled to face Joe. "I would if you'd give me the courtesy of listening!"

Frank sucked in his breath, waiting for Joe's response. Despite the justification, he winced at his father's caustic remark and wondered if he should have worn his striped shirt and referee's whistle to work.

"I'm listening," Joe said, after a tense silence. "So go ahead, let me have it."

Frank's eyes darted back and forth between the two like a ping-pong ball. Just as he was debating whether or not he should take cover, he saw Fenton close his eyes and take a deep breath. Seconds later he opened them and gazed at Joe unflinchingly.

"I would appreciate it," he began in a much calmer voice having regained a somewhat tenuous grip on his temper, "if you would show the same interest in the cases of our _paying_ clients as you do in your pro bono work." Fenton walked back to his desk and took a seat.

Joe stared at the floor for a moment and swallowed his pride. "You're right. I'm sorry." A hint of defiance mixed in with the contrition in his voice.

Frank exhaled softly wondering how much longer he would have to act as peacemaker and referee between Joe and Fenton before his nerves were completely shot.


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you to MissMe113, special agent Ali, Miss Fenway, Polaris, lekixfisher, natedawg, Surreal Epiphany, bookworm and whashaza for the reviews. :-)

Thanks to all who are reading.

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 10**

After Fenton had briefed Frank and Joe on their new client for a second time, the brothers retreated to Frank's office and began divvying up the items Fenton wanted them to check out. Joe had taken the list Frank gave him and holed up in his own office, working diligently on what he'd been assigned.

While waiting for return phone calls and responses to e-mails he'd sent, Joe pored over the details of Kara's case, scrutinizing every single piece of evidence. When lunch time arrived, he declined Frank's offer of a trip to their favorite burger joint, instead spending the time calling some of the Federal agents and NYPD detectives who'd worked so hard to gather evidence against Kara, retracing every step they made.

By day's end, he was still waiting to hear back from some of the people he'd contacted. However, the ones he'd already spoken to didn't offer him much hope. While virtually everyone involved in the investigation genuinely liked Kara and felt sorry for her, they had all come to the same conclusion – she had means, motive and opportunity. As much as they hated to admit it, all the evidence proved she had embezzled over three million dollars from her employer.

The general feeling among the investigators was the stress of her embarrassing failed marriage and subsequent lifestyle change due to the enormous debt she had been forced into, had finally pushed her over the edge. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Joe had to admit there wasn't anything that could even remotely support Kara's claim that she had been framed.

"Joe?" Frank's voice sounded muffled from the other side of the closed door.

"Yeah, come in."

Opening the door to Joe's office Frank stood in the doorway, making no move to enter. "Dad wants a rundown on what we've got so far before we go home." He held up a sheaf of papers. "How'd you make out?"

Joe shuffled the multitude of papers lying on his desk, picking up a few and shoving the rest into a manila folder. "I got through most of it." Standing up, his muscles screamed at having been stationary for so long. Joe grimaced, remembering why he hated sitting behind a desk all day. "I'm still waiting for a few people to get back to me."

"Let's go brief Dad on what we've got and then we can go home."

"Sounds good to me." Joe followed his brother down the hall.

As they passed through the reception area to the other side of the office, both boys said a pleasant goodnight to Estelle Gresham, Fenton Hardy's long-time receptionist, secretary, administrative assistant and sometime confidante. While he'd never admitted it to anyone, Fenton had turned to Mrs. Gresham more than once when he had found himself at a loss as to how to discipline one of his sons – usually Joe. Having raised four boys on her own after her husband's untimely death to cancer, he found Mrs. Gresham's experience and words of wisdom to be invaluable.

Now seated in Fenton's office, Joe and Frank brought their father up to speed on what they had accomplished that day. Having answered all Fenton's questions and made a tentative game plan for the following day, the three sat in a somewhat awkward silence. Deciding to try to make amends for his earlier remark, Fenton cautiously broached the subject of Kara, knowing Joe had been working on her case during every spare moment he had. "Were you able to make any headway on Kara's case?"

"I talked to some of the detectives and Federal agents," Joe replied, being purposely vague. The last thing he wanted to do right now was admit that he had come up empty.

"What did they have to say?" Fenton was curious to know if Joe had indeed found something everyone else had missed. _'It wouldn't be the first time…'_ he thought with a touch of pride.

Joe shrugged dismissively, making Fenton feel as if he were getting the brush-off. "They answered my questions."

"But did they give you anything to work with? Anything new to go on?" Fenton wondered why Joe was being so evasive when he was making a concerted effort to try to understand his son's motives. "Anything that might support Kara's claim that she was framed?"

"No, nothing," Joe said crossly, getting the mistaken impression his father was enjoying his failure.

"Joe," Fenton leaned forward and looked at his son intently. "Do _you_ think she's innocent?" Seeing Joe's nervousness, Fenton was certain Joe didn't really believe in Kara's innocence but would kill himself looking for evidence he wasn't even sure existed – just so he wouldn't have to face Vanessa's possible disappointment in him.

Joe shifted his gaze away from his father and stared out the window_. 'Do I? I think she's desperate. I wonder where the money went, but do I really, honestly believe she's innocent?' _

Joe found he couldn't answer truthfully, even to himself. Refusing to lie, yet unable to voice his true feelings, he decided to fake it. Joe turned back towards his father and met Fenton's eyes once again. "Vanessa is sure she's being framed."

"I didn't ask what _Vanessa_ thinks," Fenton said evenly. "I asked what _you_ think." Thinking back on Joe and Vanessa's evolving relationship over the years, he'd often wondered if they loved each other too intensely. Just how far would Joe go for Vanessa? Would he let his sanity suffer to ensure she never lost that touch of hero-worship Fenton sometimes saw in her eyes when she looked at Joe?

Frank held his breath at his father's question, and the annoyed frustration that he heard in Fenton's voice. While Frank understood Fenton wasn't really frustrated with Joe, but with the position Joe found himself in, Joe didn't see that and the tension in the room jumped a thousand percent. Watching his younger brother, Frank saw the anger flash in his eyes. Joe and Fenton stared at each other, leaving Frank to wonder if the close relationship they had spent the past year building and nurturing was about to become a casualty of their shared stubbornness.

"You want to know what I think?" Joe asked in what could only be described as a growl.

"Yes," Fenton replied, challenging Joe to speak the truth.

"I think I better end this conversation before I say something I'll regret," Joe glowered, unable to hide the pain in his eyes, as he turned and stalked out of the room.

Fenton stared almost in disbelief. He finally leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "Damn it, why do I always antagonize him?"

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Frank quoted the old cliché, tiredly. "He's not exactly easy on you either."

Fenton nodded in agreement and then looked at Frank imploringly. "Would you go talk to him?"

"Sure," Frank replied, keeping the twinge of resentment well hidden. _'Sure, Dad. Sure, Joe. Go ahead and fight. Good old Frank is always there to pick up the pieces…'_

Pasting a smile on his face, Frank rose and went in search of his younger brother. After checking Joe's office and seeing the computer had been turned off, Frank peered out the window overlooking the driveway. Seeing Joe's Mustang still parked there, Frank headed for the house knowing Joe was saying goodnight to Laura.

Emerging into the foyer of the house, Frank almost collided with Joe who was on his way out in something of a hurry. "Can I talk to you a minute?"

"Why, so you can tell me how wrong I am and how right Dad is?" Joe said bitterly, never slowing down as he strode towards the front door.

'_This is getting __**so**__ old.'_ Frank wondered if either Joe or Fenton ever considered what it felt like for him to be caught in the middle of their occasional battle of wills.

Following Joe out the door, Frank continued on his mission. "Come on Joe, he asked you a simple question. Do you think Kara is innocent? You must, if you're working so hard to prove it. What have you found that has you so convinced?" Frank asked, thinking if he knew why Joe was so insistent on helping Kara, it would be easier to get Fenton to back off.

Joe reached his car and stopped, his head bowed.

"Well," Frank pressured him, "you must have found something or you wouldn't be so gung ho to prove her innocence." He was met with more silence. "Have you found anything – anything at all – that even remotely supports Kara's story?"

Still Joe didn't speak, refusing to even look at his brother.

"Joe," Frank reached out and tugged on Joe's arm, forcing Joe to turn around and face him. When Joe was unable to hold his gaze for more than a second, Frank realized the truth. "You haven't found anything, have you?"

Joe shook his head, staring over Frank's shoulder at some meaningless object that didn't even register with him. "No," he said stubbornly. "But I'm still looking."

'_Damn you! You __and__ Dad! You're both making me crazy for __nothing__!!'_ Frank fumed. "And just how long are you going to look?" he asked, feeling his patience being stretched to the limit. "Based on the evidence do you honestly believe Kara was framed?"

Joe finally looked his brother in the eye. "Vanessa does."

"Why are you doing this, Joe?" Frank spat out, unable to contain his annoyance any longer. "Just for spite? Because your stupid pride won't let you admit there's a chance Dad could actually be right about her?!"

'_Why __am__ I doing this?'_ Joe asked himself honestly.

Kara had seemed desperate and Joe assumed it was because she was innocent and no one believed her – a feeling Joe could easily relate to. But the other feeling he always got in situations like this – the gut instinct that started deep in his soul, letting him know without a doubt that he _was_ right – was conspicuously absent. Had the desperate look in Kara's eyes not been one of despair that no one believed her cries of innocence, but a reflection of guilt and fear at having been caught?

When Joe finally looked at Frank, his piercing blue eyes revealed confusion and uncertainty. "I'm doing it because I promised Vanessa," Joe said inflexibly. "Please don't make me choose between you and Dad, and her." Joe turned and got in his car. Driving off he left Frank staring after him in stunned silence.

Frank walked dazedly to his own car, his emotions finally bubbling to the surface. "ARGH!!!!" Slamming a fist against the roof, he screamed in frustration. "I'm _not_ making you choose between Vanessa and _anybody_!! I don't even want to be _involved_ in this!"

Lately he'd felt like a tackling dummy with Joe and Fenton constantly coming at him from opposite sides, neither one of them even considering what it felt like for him to be stuck in the middle. Getting in his car, Frank slammed the door shut and sat glaring out the windshield. Taking a deep breath, he started his car and slowly drove home.


	11. Chapter 11

My thanks and apologies to those who reviewed the last two chapters. I've been out of town and have gotten behind on my replies. :-( I also didn't have internet access so that's why this chapter is a day late.

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 11**

Callie Hardy walked into the kitchen of her dream house and stopped short at the sight before her. Frank was seated at the table, a pile of shredded napkins in front of him. Unaware she had even entered the room, he plucked another unsuspecting napkin from the holder and methodically began tearing it into tiny pieces.

"Frustrating day?" she asked, wincing slightly when Frank jumped. He turned and smiled at her before resuming his task of reducing the helpless napkin to a useless pile of rubbish.

"Frustrating brother," Frank muttered. "No, correction…frustrating brother and frustrating _father_," he amended. "Think it's too late to put myself up for adoption? I could be an only child…" Frank dropped what was left of the napkin and gazed out into space, a serene smile on his face.

Callie laughed as she positioned herself behind him and began massaging his shoulders. The muscles beneath her fingers were hard and tense, telling her Frank was even more aggravated than he was letting on.

Frank sighed contentedly and closed his eyes, letting his head drop forward. The comfortable silence and Callie's firm but loving touch proved to be a potent combination. Twenty minutes later, drowning in a languid tranquility, Frank reluctantly lifted his head. Reaching over his shoulder, Frank took her hand and guided her to the chair next to him. Leaning forward, he kissed her firmly, Joe and Fenton the farthest thing from his mind.

"Thank you," he murmured, his lips still hovering dangerously close to hers.

"My pleasure." She took advantage of their close proximity by initiating another satisfying kiss. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Frank stared into the deep brown eyes that never failed to captivate him and wondered how he got so lucky. "Later. Right now I want to enjoy some quality time with my wife." With a seductive smile, he took Callie's hand and led her upstairs.

oooOOOooo

Frank placed another log in the fireplace, watching the flames dance. He poked at the pile until he was satisfied with the placement and then stood up and walked back to the couch. He stretched out on the plush, inviting sofa and sighed, mesmerized by the orange glow. _'You are one lucky man, Hardy.'_

After the 'quality time' Frank had insisted on, Callie had indulged his request for yet another massage and then prepared his favorite dinner, serving it by candlelight. Just as they had started to move their impromptu romantic evening to the living room, the phone rang. Frank had exhaled in relief when it turned out to be the nightly call from Callie's mother, having feared it was Joe or Fenton wanting to drag him back into their idiotic dispute. Whispering for her to make it short, Frank went into the living room and built the fire that now suffused the room in a soft glow.

"Miss me?" Callie asked seductively, stretching out her petite frame half on the sofa and half on Frank.

"Mmmm….immensely." Frank kissed the top of her head lightly. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and entwined the other in her silky, blonde hair as they lay in contented silence, broken only by the occasional crackle of the fire.

"Feel better now?"

"Much better – all thanks to you." He opened his eyes to look at her. "If I could take you to work with me, life would be perfect," he mused, warming to the images that thought conjured up.

"Joe and your Dad aren't exactly seeing eye to eye?"

"That's an understatement," Frank muttered sarcastically. "You know I wouldn't mind so much if they kept me out of their differences of opinion…or at least let _me_ decide when I wanted to get involved." He sighed heavily. "I never know what to expect. One minute they're fine and the next they're at each other's throats. They never tell each other what's really going on but they take every chance they can to unload on me. They both feel guilty about the way they treat each other but they're too damn stubborn to admit it and then they want _me_ to repair the damage." Frank railed on, deciding it felt pretty good to get everything out. "It'd just be a whole lot easier if Joe hadn't inherited so much of Dad's temper." Frank maligned the gods of fate that had given his brother such a fiery personality.

"But then he wouldn't be Joe," Callie pointed out logically, to which Frank replied with a muffled grunt. "So has he found anything yet? I talked to Vanessa today. You know she's convinced Joe is going to clear Kara completely – and soon."

"Yeah, I know and I think that's the crux of the problem. Deep down I think part of Joe believes Kara is guilty. I mean she needed the money desperately; she had the means and the brains to get it, not to mention the opportunity. If that client of Uncle Brad's hadn't asked for him to look things over personally, she'd still be getting away with it and no one would be the wiser.

"Logically, Joe sees all that, but he's thinking with his heart. To him, this isn't about Kara or Uncle Brad or three million dollars. It's about Vanessa and not letting her down." Frank stared at the ceiling, wishing his brother wouldn't blindly follow his heart all the time when it came to Vanessa. _'Like __that__ would ever happen.'_

"He's getting obsessed, Cal. I know he won't let this go unless Vanessa says it's okay and gives him her blessing." Frank frowned, stroking Callie's hair absently. "And we both know that will never happen. Vanessa is nothing if not loyal to her friends." Frank shifted, pulling Callie a little closer, subconsciously trying to comfort himself. "He's gonna drive himself crazy, if he doesn't drive me crazy first."

oooOOOooo

Joe stared at the copious notes he'd taken earlier in the day, feeling the first signs of defeat creeping up on him. No matter how he looked at it or whom he spoke to, the facts never changed. Running his hands through his blonde hair, Joe dropped his head forward and listened to Kara and Vanessa talking in the living room. Their voices carried into the office allowing him to catch bits and pieces of their conversation.

"Couldn't decide… traditional or modern… veil… train…" Vanessa's voice bubbled over with excitement as she was apparently sharing with Kara the one secret Joe was not privy to – her wedding dress.

Joe grinned as he listened to Vanessa talking animatedly about the details of their impending nuptials that had been worked out so far by her, Andrea and Laura, and what still needed to be done.

'_Smartest thing I ever did,'_ Joe congratulated himself, reflecting on the day he asked Vanessa to marry him. _'Even Frank said so.'_ Joe chuckled recalling the look of utter astonishment on his brother's face when Vanessa had flashed her engagement ring at him for the first time. _'Frank…'_

Joe's thoughts suddenly turned melancholy with his brother's words fresh in his mind.

_"Why are you doing this, Joe? Just for spite? Because your stupid pride won't let you admit there's a chance Dad could actually be right about her?!" _

"Sorry, bro," Joe said aloud, knowing Frank had been upset with him and rightfully so. It wasn't the first time Joe had put Frank in the middle of a disagreement with Fenton and unfortunately, he was sure it wouldn't be the last, no matter how hard he tried not to.

Aside from Frank's obvious frustration with him, he'd also managed to make his father angry to boot. Rubbing the back of his neck, Joe wondered if it were just a matter of time before Vanessa, too, expressed her disappointment in him. If he couldn't find anything to help Kara and she was sent to prison, would Joe finally have to admit he was no longer Vanessa's knight in shining armor?


	12. Chapter 12

Posting a little early today. I live in the mid-Atlantic region of the east coast of the U.S., just outside Philadelphia, so unless you live under a rock or don't watch the news, you know I'm buried under close to four feet of snow. Two and a half feet from the previous storm and another foot and a half from yesterday's blizzard on top of it. Spent the morning digging out but we're still not supposed to be out on the roads yet so I'm still snowbound. Yippee… I hate snow…

Thanks so much for the reviews! As promised, Frank finally gets his say in this chapter. I had fun writing that part; hope you have fun reading it. ;-)

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 12**

Joe glanced at his watch. _'I never knew silence could be so loud.'_ He'd convinced Vanessa and Kara to go out to dinner and a movie. Kara was hesitant, feeling as if she were taking advantage of Joe and Vanessa. But when Vanessa, eyebrows raised suggestively, proposed dinner at _Prito's, _Kara had readily agreed.

Alone in the apartment, Joe spent the evening poring over the information he had, getting more and more depressed. _'What the heck am I looking for?! There's nothing here to find!_' Joe rubbed his eyes tiredly. _'And how do I explain __that__ to Vanessa?'_

Listening to the monotonous ticking of the clock, Joe had no idea how to begin to break that kind of news to his fiancée. He heard the door open and then Vanessa's bubbly laughter echoed down the hall. Sitting back, Joe closed his eyes, losing himself in the sound. During the months after she had been raped, Joe realized just how much he'd taken that sound for granted. At one point, things seemed so dark he was certain he'd never hear it again. When it finally resurfaced many months later, Joe vowed never to take it for granted again.

Realizing he could be responsible for silencing Vanessa's enchanting giggle should he tell her he was unable to find a shred of evidence to help Kara, Joe decided to keep that information to himself just a little longer. _'I can't let her down. I have to keep looking…'_

oooOOOooo

The next morning, Joe procrastinated as much as possible before leaving for work. After an extended visit with Laura, he finally faced the music and made his way into the office.

"Hi, Mrs. G," he greeted the woman he'd come to see almost as an adopted grandmother.

"Good morning, Joe." She smiled as he passed by her desk.

Taking a deep breath, Joe stopped in the doorway of his brother's office. Peeking in, he saw Frank engrossed in something on the computer. "Knock, knock."

Frank looked up. "Hi. Come on in."

"Thanks." Joe flopped on a chair in front of Frank's desk. "Listen, I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to take out my frustrations with Dad on you."

"Thanks," Frank acknowledged the apology. "You know if you and Dad sat down and talked to each other – _calmly_ – you could both stop apologizing to me." Prior to Joe's arrival, Fenton had sat in the very same chair himself and apologized for putting Frank in the middle of his disagreement with Joe.

"Uh…can I think about that for a while?" Joe asked evasively, still not quite ready to face his father head on.

"Sure, why not." Frank sighed, unnoticed by his brother. _'One out of two is half the battle, right?'_ Frank tried to convince himself. He recalled his father's willingness to make things right with Joe – _if_ Joe would hear him out before making any judgments.

"Cool." Joe stood and smiled as he walked to the door. "Let me finish up that list of contacts you gave me yesterday. Hopefully the rest the people I tried to reach have returned my calls by now. Be back in a little while." With a wave of his hand, Joe was gone.

As the day wore on, Frank noticed Joe and Fenton were tactfully avoiding each other. Despite their apologies to him, they both insisted on using Frank as a go-between rather than actually speaking to one another face-to-face. Come day's end, Frank was seated in his father's office listening to Fenton's discourse yet again, on Joe's misguided mission to prove Kara innocent. With frequent glances at the clock on this father's desk, Frank counted the minutes until he could retreat to the sanctuary of his own home and Callie's arms.

"Could you please explain to Joe that I'm just worried about him?"

"Dad," Frank began patiently. "I think it would be more effective if he heard it directly from you."

"He doesn't _listen_ to me!" Fenton exclaimed, frustrated. "You can get through to him so much easier than I can… please?"

Frank stared at his father and cursed silently. "Fine," he replied evenly. "Sure. Nooooooo problem."

"Thank you, son." Fenton smiled, oblivious to the sarcasm in Frank's voice. "I knew I could count on you." Immediately, he returned to the report he'd been studying, content that his problem with Joe would be solved within minutes.

Frank stood and glowered at his father and then turned and stalked out of the office and down the hall.

"Could you explain it to Joe… he doesn't listen to me… you can get through to him…" Frank mimicked his father acerbically, his pace increasing with each muttered thought.

"Chin up, Frank," Mrs. Gresham called out as he strode through the reception area.

With a wave of acknowledgement, Frank continued on, stopping in front of Joe's closed office door. Taking a deep breath, he knocked once and poked his head inside. "Got a minute?"

"Sure, what's up?" Joe replied amiably.

'_What's up? You and Dad are making me crazy, that's what's up!! I'm gonna end up in a padded room before my thirtieth birthday because of you two!'_ Frank silently fumed as he perched on the edge of Joe's desk. "Listen, could you go see Dad? Just sit and talk with him for a few minutes. He's concerned about you, Joe. Can't you just hear him out?"

Joe wrinkled his nose distastefully, twirling a pen between his fingers. "I don't know. Dad and I are having… issues."

Frank narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Gee, I hadn't noticed. This would give the two of you a chance to work out your _issues_."

Joe studied the pen in his hand as if it contained the secrets of the universe. Finally, he vetoed Frank's idea. "Mmm, no, I don't think so. But I bet if you talked to him for me, things would be all straightened out in no time flat," Joe suggested with a broad smile.

Feeling his blood pressure rise, Frank decided he'd had enough. "That's it," he growled. Reaching across the desk, he grabbed Joe's forearm and forcibly pulled his brother out of the chair. "Let's go."

"Ow! Hey! That hurts!" Joe tried to wrench his arm from Frank's stranglehold as he was dragged out of his office and down the hall. "_Mom_!" Joe wailed, attempting to make himself a dead weight until the cavalry arrived.

Passing through the reception area, Frank nodded once at Mrs. Gresham. She smiled and winked at him as if she was seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

"Mrs. G, _help me_!" Joe pleaded, digging his heels into the carpet.

"Sorry, Joe, I was an older sibling myself," the silver haired woman replied, throwing Frank a sly grin as the elder Hardy brother continued on to the opposite end of the hall and barged into his father's office, eyes blazing.

"Sit!" he ordered Joe, pointing to a chair.

"But…" Joe tried to protest only to be stopped by Frank's outraged voice.

"I said sit… _NOW_!" Frank roared.

Joe complied immediately, attempting to blend in with the pattern on the chair. Slouching down as far as possible, he looked at his father worriedly. Fenton closed the file he'd been reading and focused all his attention on Frank. He could count on one hand the number of times Frank had lost his temper in the last twenty or so years. Seeing the icy glares Frank was distributing evenly between him and Joe, Fenton slunk down in his seat slightly, realizing he was partially to blame for whatever had gotten Frank so angry.

"I. Have. Had. _Enough_," Frank said through clenched teeth. He slammed his fist on the desk causing Fenton, Joe and a glass of water to jump. His gaze shifted between Fenton and Joe with each word. "I am sick and tired of being the rope in your personal tug of war!"

Frank whirled and focused all his attention on Fenton. "If you want Joe to know why you want him to drop this whole thing – _TELL HIM_!!" Frank yelled, pointing at Joe for emphasis.

He then turned on Joe, causing the younger Hardy to flinch and sink further into the chair. "And if you want Dad to know why you refuse to stop investigating – _TELL HIM_!!!" Frank bellowed gesturing in a similar manner towards his father. Taking a step back, Frank closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, as if the outburst had been physically painful.

Joe watched closely as Frank's lips moved but no sounds came out. _'Uh-oh, he's counting to ten. Not a good sign. I wonder if they give the death penalty for fratricide in this state…'_ Joe glanced at his father and saw that Fenton Hardy was quietly waiting for Frank to finish, knowing that any attempt to mount a defense would be suicide.

When Frank opened his eyes and began to speak again, his voice was low and calm. "I'm going home now, to spend a quiet evening with my wife. The two of you are going to work this out yourselves and if you need a referee, _don't_ call me – I won't answer the phone." That said, Frank turned on his heel and walked out.

An eerie silence descended over the room as Fenton and Joe looked at each other warily. Finally, Joe cleared his throat to speak. "Well, I guess we deserved that," he said, chastised and ashamed.

Fenton flushed with embarrassment. "Agreed. And he's right. We need to work this out between us." Leaning forward on his elbows, he gazed earnestly at his younger son. "Joe, I understand why you don't want to give up, but I'm just concerned that there isn't anything to find. I think deep inside you've considered that possibility and…" Fenton sighed, knowing nothing he could say would change Joe's mind. "I'm just worried about you, that's all. I'm your father, it's my job," he said tempering the words with a smile.

Joe looked at his father for a long moment before responding. "I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record but I promised Vanessa I'd look into it-"

"And you have!" Fenton blurted out in frustration. "When are you going to tell her there's nothing to find?!" Seeing the flash of despair that had appeared briefly in Joe's eyes set off his parental instinct to protect his son – even if the person he was trying to protect Joe from was Joe himself. Fenton quickly sucked in a breath, immediately realizing that he might have just negated their shaky truce, when Joe started to chuckle.

"Try not to hold back, huh, Dad? Vanessa is adamant that Kara is innocent. I gave her my word…" Joe's voice trailed off but his eyes pleaded with his father to try to understand.

"I know what Vanessa thinks, son," Fenton countered softly. "I want to know what _you_ think. Do you really believe Kara is innocent?"

Even though it was the same query that had angered Joe only a day earlier, this time his response was just the opposite. The antagonism with which his father had uttered the question twenty-four hours earlier had been replaced with compassion and concern.

"Not completely," Joe responded honestly. "But I'm not convinced she's guilty either. There's one thing that's been bothering me right from the start."

"What's that?" Fenton asked, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Joe threw up his hands in question. "Where's the money? If she really stole it, why didn't she use it to get out of debt, move to a nicer place or just get out of town altogether?"

Fenton leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling for a moment. "Good question. I think there are two possible answers. Number one, she really was framed and you need to keep digging. Number two, she really did steal the money and has since moved most of it out of the Swiss bank accounts and has it stashed somewhere else." He dropped his elbows to the desk and stared at Joe intently. "This would be her first offense. No weapons were used, with time off for good behavior and probation, she could be out in a few years. Maybe she thinks a few years in prison is worth three million dollars. In which case, you're killing yourself searching for something that doesn't exist."

Joe considered his father's words carefully and had to admit his theory was plausible. "Which do you think it is?" Joe asked anxiously.

"Honestly? I've thought all along that she was guilty. But you have a point about the missing money. She's never been in trouble with the law – she's never been in trouble at all. That doesn't fit the profile of someone who'd think a couple of years in prison was a fair exchange for a few million dollars."

"So you think I should keep digging?" Joe hadn't realized how much he wanted his father's approval until now.

Fenton sat back and stared at Joe. "You know one of your best qualities is that your word means something. When you say you'll do something, you always follow through. When you make a promise, you won't break it for anyone – not even me. Your word is gold. That's very rare these days." Fenton stopped as his eyes shone brightly. "You don't know how proud that makes me."

Joe blushed slightly, yet beamed at the high praise from the man he had aspired to be like his whole life.

"Listen," Fenton continued, sensing Joe's mild embarrassment at his little speech. "Why don't you take the next few days off and give this all your attention. If you find something everyone else missed, let me know. I'll call Sam Peterson personally and ask him to reopen the case."

"Really?" Joe's eyes widened in surprise.

"Really."

"Thanks, Dad!" Joe exclaimed jumping up from the chair, feeling a renewed sense of purpose.

"Joe," Fenton stopped him with his voice. "A feeling or a gut instinct won't be enough this time. I need something concrete; hard evidence. Something I can hold in my hand and give to Sam, okay?"

"Okay, Dad, I understand." Joe practically bounded out of the office.

As Fenton watched him leave, he was surprised at the wide range of emotions he felt, the most prominent of which was pride. He knew Joe wouldn't stop digging until he found an answer for the missing money. He just hoped it was one Joe could live with.

oooOOOooo

When Joe arrived home, he'd thrown himself into Kara's case, buoyed by his father's words. Even if Fenton wasn't convinced of Kara's innocence, his faith in Joe and his investigative skills was as strong as ever. Now several hours later, Joe wondered exactly what he'd gotten himself into and how he could get himself out of it.

Long ago Joe had made a promise to himself that he would never let Vanessa down. Staring dejectedly at the papers in front of him, Joe was no longer sure if he could keep that promise, despite Vanessa's blind faith in him.

_"My blood test will come back negative, you'll find out who framed Kara…"_

A chill ran through him, as Joe once again connected the two events in his mind, fearing if he failed to help Kara, Vanessa would be sentenced to "fail" her final blood test.

_"Why are you so insistent it needs to be investigated? They have found nothing – __nothing__ – to indicate it was anyone other than Kara."_

All his life Joe had simply wanted his father to be proud of him. Yet, he often found himself in opposition to the man he hero-worshipped. While he and Fenton may have cleared the air, it hadn't changed Fenton's opinion of Kara.

_"I am sick and tired of being the rope in your personal tug of war!" _

Joe winced, recalling his easy-going brother's angry words. Joe was the first to admit he'd become spoiled by Frank's indulgence of him and often took advantage of it. Knowing Frank would always step in if Joe manipulated him correctly, Joe had honed that skill to a fine art and used it shamelessly to avoid confrontation and get Frank to do his 'dirty work'. This time, Joe readily admitted he'd gone too far and felt badly that he was the catalyst for Frank's rare outburst of rage.

_"I had no idea they were even investigating me until they pulled out the arrest warrant!"_

Kara had been genuinely surprised that she was under investigation for months before her eventual arrest. While Joe still wasn't really convinced of her innocence, Vanessa's faith in her friend wouldn't allow him to admit it out loud.

The voices of Vanessa, Fenton, Frank and Kara merged in Joe's head, taunting and mocking him. In an effort to please everyone, Joe had ended up at odds with his father, alienating his brother and scared he would disappoint the woman he loved. He was now drowning in the impossibly high demands he'd placed on himself.

Feeling overwhelmed, Joe stared at the list of transactions he'd committed to memory when he finally saw it, practically leaping off the page at him. The one piece of evidence he'd driven himself crazy searching for.

"Oh, my God," he gasped. "Kara _was_ framed!"


	13. Chapter 13

**Purple Gal:** Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

**Daisymall:** I'd be happy to swap weather with you! I'll take plain old cold as opposed to what we have now – cold with three to four feet of snow that doesn't look as if it has melted at ALL! So glad you liked the scene with Frank; that was fun to write.

**Whashaza:** Joe reveals that piece of evidence at the end of this chapter. I liked angry Frank, too. As a friend and fellow writer says, it's fun to 'poke him with a stick.' :p

**KittyKat06:** LOL! I usually suck at solving mysteries too so I'm thrilled when I can actually write one that keeps people guessing even for just a few chapters. Thank you so much for reading my stories. I'm so glad you're enjoying it. And there are a few more stories to go after this one. ;-)

**Lexifisher:** Well yeah, I do like my cliffhangers. Really glad that you found Frank's meltdown hysterical. That's exactly what I was going for. Dang, I wish I had thought of him popping Joe in the head! That would have been perfect! :p

**SurrealEpiphany:** LOL! Frank and Joe both appreciate your support!

**Helen**: Still snowbound here for the most part. Streets are clear (mostly – a few side streets are still an 'adventure' to drive through) but there are piles of snow five and six feet high, mostly in parking lots. I fear we'll still be making snowmen in the middle of July!

**Vee22:** Thanks so much for your comments! I was trying to bring out how hard it is to be in the middle between two family members that you love equally. And what can happen when they take that mediator for granted. Glad you liked Mrs. Gresham. She's not a frequent character in my stories but I do like her.

**Stophittingme:** Thanks! I'm so glad you enjoyed that chapter.

**Polaris:** LOL! Joe said he'll share his epiphany at the end of this chapter. Biased as I am, I agree with you – Joe is the best knight in shining armor ever! And Frank says thanks for the standing ovation.

**KennaC:** Aw, thank you! I know exactly what you mean about story and character preferences. I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum from you as I rarely read stories that _include_ Nancy, yours being one of the rare exceptions. Anyone who hasn't checked out Kenna's story _Exploring Fraud and Friendship_, it's on this site and it's GREAT. Wonderful dialogue, brilliant humor, a hysterically funny OC and best of all her characterizations of the Hardys are dead on! So you should all go read it – _after_ you've read my chapter, of course! :p

**Miss Fenway:** Hey, we're neighbors! So, have you dug out yet? And do you think this snow will be melted by say… Fourth of July?? I have my doubts. :-/ I'm glad you liked it when Frank finally snapped. It was supposed to be funny so the fact that you were laughing is a good thing!

**MissMe113:** Love the cheerleading uniform! Thanks for the enthusiasm and I'm so glad you like Kara and Tony. :-)

**natedawg:** LOL! Sorry to disappoint you about Kara! :p Glad you're still enjoying the story in spite of her. ;-)

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 13**

Joe looked at the clock and decided to take a chance despite the hour. Picking up the phone, he dialed. "Hi, is Chief Peterson in?" Joe mentally crossed his fingers. "Yes, Joe Hardy," he answered when the officer asked who was calling.

Joe waited, the surge of adrenaline reawakening the butterflies in his stomach. Staring at the page once more, he wondered why no one else had noticed it. _'Hey, it took you three days to see it and you were __looking__ for something!'_

"Chief, hi!" Joe said excitedly, when Sam Peterson came on the line.

"Hello, Joe." Sam sounded amused at the enthusiasm evident in Joe's voice. "So have you found something to put my department to shame?"

"Not sure yet, but I have a few questions if you've got a minute."

"Fire away."

"Did anyone at BRG besides Brad Galloway and Kara's supervisor know about the investigation?"

"One person. Hold on…"

Joe heard the clicking of fingers on a keyboard as Sam apparently searched for the name in the computer files.

"…Justin Hahn. He works in Tech Services."

Joe wrinkled his brow. "Why was he involved?"

"We needed someone who could get onto Kara's computer, find the transactions in question and copy them onto a disc without raising her suspicions. Security is pretty tight there; no one would ever ask to use another employee's computer.

"When Hahn asked her to log him on to her computer so he could check for a virus and install a patch, she didn't bat an eye. He got on, copied all the information we needed onto a disc and got off. He told Kara to change her password and she was none the wiser," Sam finished.

Joe took down quick notes, his mind spinning with the new information. "Why this guy Hahn as opposed to someone else? Any special reason he was picked to do the job?"

"Funny you should mention that. Justin Hahn is Brad Galloway's son-in-law. He's the only person in Tech Services that Galloway trusted not to spill the beans."

'_Son-in-law?'_ Joe frowned. "So the only people at BRG who knew about the theft and subsequent investigation were Galloway, Kara's supervisor Peter Jessup and Hahn," Joe reiterated for confirmation.

"Right."

"Thanks, Chief!" Joe exclaimed, anxious to get off the phone.

"Joe, I can tell by your voice you're onto something. Since it'll be my officers who are eventually brow-beaten for whatever it is they missed, can you give me a hint?" Sam asked. Joe could almost hear the smile in his voice.

"Right now it's just a hunch. I need to check out a few more things to see if it pans out or falls through," Joe answered, the promise he made to his father in the front of his mind.

Sam laughed. "Just let me know how it turns out, okay?"

"You bet. Thanks, Chief."

Hanging up the phone, Joe made a list of everyone who knew about, or was actively involved in the investigation. Crossing off the names of those who were the least likely to have stolen the money, he was left with two names – Peter Jessup, Kara's supervisor and Justin Hahn, Galloway's son-in-law. Over the next few hours, Joe did some digging on the two with one quickly emerging as a suspect.

In the past two-and-a-half years, Justin Hahn had purchased a brand new SUV, a new boat, a 100th anniversary limited edition Harley Davidson motorcycle and a summer beach house. What Joe found interesting was despite being only a few years older than Kara, Justin had paid cash for all his new acquisitions. A little more investigating showed no other source of income other than what he earned at BRG Investments. A nice amount to be sure, but not nearly enough to pay cash for all his new toys. Now more than ever, Joe was sure his discovery proved Kara really had been framed, and he was almost certain who the real thief was.

Hearing the front door open, Joe quickly gathered up his notes. Despite the breakthrough, everything he had was still circumstantial. On the off chance he was wrong, Joe wasn't ready to tell Kara just yet. Shoving everything into the file, Joe stashed it in the bedroom and went out to greet Kara and Vanessa.

"Hey, Baby." Joe pulled Vanessa into his arms and kissed her. "Have a good time?" he asked about their evening out, including Kara in his query.

"_Very_ good." Vanessa threw a mischievous grin at her friend.

"Ah, you went to _Prito's_ again," Joe guessed seeing Kara blush a bright crimson.

"Dinner _was_ very good," Kara said noncommittally. "And on that note I'll leave you two alone. Goodnight."

"Night," Joe and Vanessa chorused as Kara went into the bedroom and closed the door.

"C'mere." Joe eagerly pulled Vanessa down the hall towards their bedroom, wanting to share his discovery with her.

"My, my, aren't we frisky," Vanessa teased with a smile.

"That's not what I want." Joe stopped abruptly and turned to her with a wink. "Well, not right this second anyway." Tugging on Vanessa's hand, he pulled her into the room and shut the door. He began rifling through the file, impatiently. "Remember that first day I talked to Kara?" Joe asked excitedly, not waiting for an answer. "She said she had no idea the money was even missing, let alone that she was a suspect until the second she was arrested." Finding what he wanted, Joe waved the paper at Vanessa animatedly. "So how do they explain _this_?!" He thrust his finger at the date of the last transfer almost four months earlier.

Vanessa looked at him in confusion. "Um, I don't know… How do they explain _what_?"

"This!" Joe repeated agitated, shaking the paper. "Kara was just arrested a few days ago but the transfers mysteriously stopped four _months_ ago! Coincidentally, right after the secret, hush-hush investigation officially began."

Vanessa nodded but obviously still had no idea what Joe was getting at. "Right. That was when Brad Galloway first realized the money was missing."

"Exactly!" Joe said triumphantly, waving his hands. "That proves it _wasn't_ Kara who stole it!"

Vanessa frowned again, settling down on the edge of the bed. "I don't follow you."

"Okay," Joe began patiently. "Just say Kara really _was_ stealing the money all along. She has no idea she's been found out until the day the feds slap the handcuffs on her three days ago. Now, if she had no idea she'd been caught, _why_ would she suddenly stop stealing money four months beforehand?"

"She wouldn't," Vanessa replied, still confused.

"Right!" Joe cried out enthusiastically.

"Oh!" Vanessa jumped up as it all finally clicked. "Oh my God! She _wouldn't_ stop! Which means she never stole it to begin with!"

"Right again! Whoever really stole the money – and framed Kara for it – got scared as soon as the investigation _started_. They were afraid they'd be found out so they stopped all the unauthorized transfers immediately. And that was their only mistake! It narrowed down the suspect list to _TWO_!" Joe grinned and held up two fingers for emphasis.

"How do you figure that?"

"The real thief had to know about the investigation right from the start. The transfers stopped almost immediately after Galloway realized the money had been stolen! It had to be someone who helped gather the evidence against Kara."

"But that still doesn't tell you who really stole the money." Vanessa looked deflated.

Joe simply stared at her, his grin growing even wider.

"You do know!" Vanessa jumped up and threw herself on Joe. "I knew you could do it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!" She smothered Joe with kisses between each exclamation.

Joe laughed, enjoying Vanessa's demonstrative show of thanks. "Well, I still have to get some hard evidence. Right now everything I have is circumstantial."

Vanessa headed for the door. "I can't wait to tell Kara!"

Joe pulled her to a stop. "No!"

"Why not? She'll be thrilled!"

"Because I don't have anything that will hold up in court. Right now I don't even have enough to convince Chief Peterson to reopen the investigation. I don't want to get Kara's hopes up for nothing." Joe pulled Vanessa close to him. "Tomorrow I'm gonna see if I can talk to the guy. If I can trip him up and get something I can take back to Dad, maybe we can get Chief Peterson and the Feds to investigate further."

Vanessa frowned. "I don't see why we can't at least tell Kara you've found a discrepancy that casts doubt on whether or not she's guilty. Who is this guy anyway?"

"His name is Justin Hahn," Joe answered. "He works in Tech Support at BRG and he knew about the investigation pretty much from the get go."

"Why?"

"He's the one who got onto Kara's computer and copied all the information relating to the unauthorized transfers onto a disc for Chief Peterson." Joe stretched out on the bed and pulled Vanessa down next to him. He continued speaking, absently twirling a lock of her hair. "I did a little digging on him. In the past two-and-a-half-years he bought a car, a boat, a limited edition Harley _and_ a beach house… and he paid cash for _everything_.

"He doesn't make nearly enough at BRG to do that. He doesn't come from money, hasn't inherited any from some suddenly deceased rich relative and hasn't hit the lottery. So how was he able to afford all that?" Joe mused.

"Simple, he stole the money and set up Kara to take the fall, if and when it was discovered," Vanessa spat out disgustedly.

"That's what it looks like. But that's not enough to take to the Chief – or even Dad. I need more. And to get it, I need to talk to him face-to-face."

"Do you think he'll agree to see you?" Vanessa nestled her head on Joe's shoulder.

"Hopefully. I'm gonna try and make him think I'm looking for more evidence against Kara. With any luck he'll say something to implicate himself – if not I'll give him a little push. Let him know I know everything isn't exactly how it appears," Joe answered. "I need hard evidence before I can tell anyone about this – Justin Hahn is Brad Galloway's son-in-law."

"What?!" Vanessa cried out, lifting her head.

"That was my initial reaction too, but there's nothing else I can do until tomorrow." Joe shifted to face Vanessa. "Okay," he grinned, a wicked gleam in his eyes. "_Now_ I'm frisky."

As Joe leaned in and kissed her neck, Vanessa's throaty laugh filled his ears and his heart, making Joe more certain than ever that this would indeed be their year.


	14. Chapter 14

Thanks so much for the reviews. I'm glad I'm not the only one who enjoys visualizing a 'frisky Joe'! :p

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 14**

Vanessa looked at the clock on her desk and smiled. Joe should just be leaving for the drive into New York City. He'd called her at work to let her know he'd spoken to Justin Hahn that morning. When Joe said he was doing some "_further investigation into Kara Lidster_", Hahn had been only too happy to meet with him. He quickly agreed to meet Joe at a coffee shop near Central Park at noon.

Joe told Vanessa he'd call her when he arrived there and again when he was on his way home. Certain Joe would come home with more than enough evidence to clear Kara and prove Justin had really stolen the money, Vanessa wished the day would fly by. With a distracted sigh, she returned her attention to the project she was working on and waited for Joe's call.

oooOOOooo

Joe pulled into the parking garage and got out of his car. Locking the car, he pocketed the keys and took the stairs to the street level. With a glance at Central Park, he joined the throng of pedestrians and walked one block to the coffee shop where he was to meet Justin Hahn. Casually looking in the window, Joe surveyed the patrons. Recalling Justin Hahn's description of himself on the phone that morning, Joe easily picked him out at a table in the corner by the window. Entering the shop, Joe ordered a coffee and made his way to the table. "Justin Hahn?"

"Yes." The young man stood up and extended his hand. "Joe Hardy?"

"Yes," Joe confirmed, instinctively taking in every detail about Justin as they sat down.

Square jawed, with dark brown eyes, Justin's matching brown hair had reddish highlights sprinkled throughout. From his designer suit and leather shoes to his diamond-studded Rolex watch, everything about him screamed '_superficial'_.

"I thought the investigation had been completed," Justin commented curiously.

Joe smiled. "I'm just tying up a few loose ends."

"Well, I'd be glad to help in any way I can."

"Thanks, I appreciate that. It certainly seems as if all the evidence points to Kara Lidster." Joe sat back, waiting for Justin's reply.

Justin shook his head sadly. "I still can't believe she did it. Nice girl. Loser husband though. Too bad," he said, all the while sipping his coffee and gazing out the window at the people scurrying by.

'_Liar_,' Joe thought, noting the way Justin avoided making eye contact with him. "Yeah, it is. I understand you were the one who copied all the transfers in question off her computer onto a disc for the authorities."

"Right." Justin looked back at Joe again. "Brad, my father-in-law, didn't want it to leak out that the theft had been discovered. Since we're family, he knew he could trust me to keep everything quiet," he finished with an arrogant smile.

'_Bingo!'_ Joe smiled inwardly as Justin handed him the opening he needed. "You know it's funny you should mention that." Joe leaned forward just enough to infringe on Justin's personal space.

Justin's eyes narrowed as he instinctively leaned back away from Joe. "Mention what?"

"That the theft had been discovered, but the discovery was kept secret. This was four months ago, right?" Joe pressed

"Yes," Justin replied, suddenly guarded.

"But according to Kara, she didn't know anything about the investigation until the day she was arrested, which was just last week," Joe pointed out. "You yourself just said everyone involved in the investigation kept it quiet; nothing leaked out. Right?"

"Yes." Justin seemed wary. "So what's your point?"

"My point is if Kara had no idea she had been caught, why would she suddenly stop stealing money four months ago, which coincidentally, was the start of a supposedly secret investigation that she knew nothing about? It just doesn't make sense." Joe threw out the bait and sat back, waiting for Justin's reaction.

Shock and guilt briefly flitted in Hahn's dark brown eyes but quickly disappeared. He shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Hey, she's a woman. I stopped trying to figure them out a long time ago, know what I mean?"

'_Jerk!'_ Joe thought disgustedly. "Yeah." He took a sip of his coffee, deciding to try a different approach. "By the way, how do you like that limited edition Harley? I've been thinking of buying one myself." Joe allowed himself a tiny smile as Hahn visibly flinched.

"And that speed boat? It's top of the line isn't it? Do you keep it docked at your new beach house?" Joe leaned forward again, staring intently at Justin.

What had been just a hint of tension between the two young men earlier, now threatened to suffocate them.

"I lease dock space and I would highly recommend the Harley," Justin replied evenly, having recovered from the initial shock. "Did you have any more questions regarding the investigation?"

"No, no more questions. But I do have an observation…" Joe stopped, waiting to see if Justin would comment but got only a silent glare in return. "_IF_ Kara really was stealing the money, it makes no sense for her to suddenly discontinue those transfers four months ago. Which raises the question: _did_ she steal the money – or was she framed?" Joe saw the flash of shocked surprise in Justin's eyes once more and pressed forward.

"_If_ she was framed, who is the real thief? My guess is it had to be someone who knew about the investigation right from the start. That would explain why the transfers suddenly stopped – the real thief was tipped off and was afraid he'd be caught."

Justin's eyes widened for a split second before he regained control. "Interesting theory," he said, noncommittally.

"I thought so, too. So I wondered, who could the real thief be? I doubt that Brad Galloway is stealing from his own company; I think we can safely rule out the authorities; that left two people – Peter Jessup and you, and Peter Jessup hasn't been spending money like he hit the lottery for the past two years." Joe settled back in the chair, stared at Justin and waited.

"Like I said, that's an interesting theory, but that's all it is. The _evidence_ proves Kara stole the money," Justin said evenly. "Any other questions?"

"Not that I can think of," Joe answered as Justin stood up. "Thanks for your time."

Justin gave him a curt nod and left without saying another word.

Joe sat and debated his next move while finishing his coffee. Justin was spooked, that much was clear, and he was definitely hiding something. Joe was certain of that. However, it would take a little more digging to find out if Justin really had stolen the money and framed Kara or if it was something else entirely.

Draining the last of his coffee, Joe stood and walked toward the exit, tossing his cup in the trash on the way out. Once outside, Joe slipped on his sunglasses and pulled out his cell phone, intending to call Vanessa and let her know he was on his way home. Before he could dial, a hand appeared out of nowhere, snatching the phone from his grasp. At the same time, Joe felt a gun pressed into the small of his back and heard Justin Hahn's voice in his ear.

"Just keep walking…"


	15. Chapter 15

Thank you bookworm002, daisymall13, MissFenway, natedawg, anette95 (Sorry, Joe is my favorite and we always hurt the ones we love. :p ), lexifisher, Calathiel, Helen, whashaza, KennaC, Surreal Epiphany, Polaris and MissMe113 for the reviews. Yup, it wouldn't be any fun at all if everything went smoothly for Joe now would it? ;-)

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 15**

Justin pocketed Joe's cell phone as he prodded Joe forward with the gun. The sidewalks were teeming with downtown workers on their lunch break, making Joe and Justin's close proximity to one another seem normal along the heavily traveled street of the city.

"So I was right; it was you," Joe said. "You stole the money and framed Kara for it."

"Turn right." Justin applied a little more pressure with the gun so Joe would comply.

Walking into the same parking garage where he'd parked, Joe tried again to get Justin to admit to the theft. "You would've gotten away with it, too, if you hadn't stopped the transfers," he continued as Justin directed him towards the stairs.

Justin ignored Joe's attempts to bait him. "Second level. Then turn left."

"Sloppy mistake. It's gonna cost you."

"Has anyone ever told you, you talk too much?"

"All the time." Joe said. Justin pulled him to a stop next to an expensive black SUV. "Nice ride. I take it you used some of the money you stole to pay for it, huh?" Joe looked around and saw they were standing between the passenger side of the vehicle and a cement wall, completely hidden from view. He heard a click and saw the lock on the door pop up.

"Open it," Justin ordered.

Joe reached out towards the door handle. Slowly pulling the door open, he tried to judge whether or not he had enough room to launch a sneak attack without getting shot.

…

Sensing Joe was about to make a move, Justin raised his arm and brought the gun crashing down on Joe's head. As Joe collapsed, unconscious, Justin shoved him forward with a grim smile and pushed him into the backseat. Climbing in, Justin leaned into the back of the SUV and rummaged around in his fishing gear, coming up with some rags and a length of rope.

Using the rags, Justin gagged and blindfolded Joe and then used the rope to bind his hands and feet. Roughly, he pushed Joe onto the floorboards and covered him with a blanket. Satisfied, Justin climbed into the drivers seat and backed out of the parking space. Waving to the attendant as he exited the garage, Justin turned right and headed out of the city. A slow smile spread across his face as he came up with the perfect way to dispose of his captive.

oooOOOooo

Vanessa glanced at her watch and the clock on her desk, frowning. Picking up the phone, she called Joe's cell phone for the fifth time. She had expected to hear from him by one o'clock, two at the latest, yet here it was almost five and she hadn't heard a thing. As she listened to his voice mail greeting and left yet another message, her frustration turned to concern. Hanging up, she called the apartment and waited for Kara to answer.

"Hi, K, it's me. Has Joe called or come home?" she asked worriedly. Her frown deepened as Kara answered negatively. "No, no big deal. He went into the city today to talk to someone and was supposed to call me when he was on his way home and I haven't heard from him yet." She paused while Kara spoke. "I guess he found something else to follow up on and just hasn't had a chance to call me yet," Vanessa stated, not believing a word of what she had just said. Ever since Joe had been abducted from O'Hare airport and almost killed the previous year, he _always_ called Vanessa when he said he would. If he didn't, it usually meant he was in some kind of trouble. "I'll be home soon. See you then. Bye."

After checking her email and voice mail one last time, Vanessa straightened up her desk and left. Arriving home a short time later, she found Kara and Tony seated on the couch, talking quietly.

"Hi, Van," Tony waved.

"Hi." She gave him a halfhearted smile.

"You still haven't heard from Joe?" Kara asked, surprised. She had only been staying with Joe and Vanessa a few days but it was more than enough time for Kara to pick up on the intensity and closeness of their relationship. When Joe and Vanessa were together, they always maintained some kind of physical contact. When they were apart, that contact was replaced with frequent phone calls. Even she understood it was highly unusual for Vanessa not to have heard from Joe by now.

Vanessa shook her head, the worried frown creasing her forehead once again. "No."

"Where did he go?" Tony asked, immediately on alert.

"New York City," Vanessa responded vaguely. She wasn't sure exactly how much Kara had told him about her situation.

"I told him everything, Van," Kara said, apparently sensing why Vanessa was being evasive.

Exhaling in relief, Vanessa sat in the chair and leaned forward, the words coming fast and furious. "He didn't want to tell you Kara, just in case it didn't pan out but Joe got a lead on who might have framed you. He went to meet with the guy this morning but he should have been back hours ago. He said he'd call me when he arrived in New York and again right before he left. He _did_ call when he got there, but that was the last I heard from him," she finished anxiously.

"Frank didn't go with him?" Tony asked, knowing the brothers almost always worked as a team.

"No. They had a little disagreement yesterday so Joe thought it would be best to let things settle down before he asked Frank for help."

Tony's eyebrows shot up in surprise. While the Hardy brothers weren't perfect by any means, they were closer than any siblings Tony had ever met and rarely fought to the point where they weren't speaking.

"You need to call, Frank – _now_!" Tony admonished. "If Joe was supposed to call you hours ago and you're still waiting, whatever happened yesterday will be long forgotten."

"Wait a minute!" Kara finally burst out, having been stunned into silence at Vanessa's revelation about the reason for Joe's trip to New York. "Joe knows who really stole the money? When did he find out? And why didn't you tell me?"

"He had a hunch and nothing more," Vanessa clarified. "That was why he went to meet with the guy in the first place. He needs hard evidence to get them to reopen the investigation."

"What guy?" Kara asked.

"Justin Hahn."

Kara gasped in surprise. "Justin?! Galloway's son-in-law?"

"Yeah. Apparently he's been spending money like crazy the past two years buying cars and boats and motorcycles and he paid cash for everything."

"We can get the details later," Tony interrupted, getting Vanessa back on track. "Now what exactly did Joe say to you when he left this morning?"

"He called me at work and said he'd spoken to Justin this morning. He told Justin he was investigating Kara a little more in depth and needed to speak with him. Justin agreed to meet with him at noon at a coffee shop near Central Park." Vanessa twisted a lock of hair nervously. "He said he would call me when he arrived in New York and then again when he was leaving."

"And he called you when he got there?"

"Yes. That was just before noon."

"Did he say how long he expected this meeting to last?"

"No more than an hour at the most," Vanessa said anxiously. "And that's why I'm worried; it's been over six hours now…" her voice trailed off softly. The last time Joe wasn't where he told her he would be, it almost cost him his life.

Tony thrust the phone at Vanessa. "Call Frank – _now_."


	16. Chapter 16

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Helpful constructive criticism is appreciated every bit as much as the compliments. :-)

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 16**

Frank turned down the volume on the television and reached for the ringing telephone, shifting his attention from the evening news to whomever was calling. "Hello?"

"Frank, it's me."

"Hi, Van. What's up?" Frank replied.

"Um, have you spoken to Joe at all today?"

"No, not since last night. But I know Dad gave him a few days off to work on Kara's case. I was going to call him a little later to see how it's going. Is he there?"

"No he's not. That's the problem."

Frank picked up on the troubled tone in Vanessa's voice. "What do you mean '_that's the problem'_? Where is he?"

"Well, he went into the city today to meet with Justin Hahn," Vanessa began speaking rapidly as her anxiety increased. "He called me before he left and said he didn't think it would take more than an hour and he'd be on his way home by one; one thirty at the latest. But he never called and he never came home," she finished breathlessly.

Frank got a chill recalling the last time he got a phone call like this from Vanessa – by the time he and Fenton finally found Joe, he was near death.

"_Who_ is Justin Hahn? _Why_ was Joe meeting with him and _why_ did he go alone?!" Frank fired off the questions in rapid succession.

"He thinks Justin may be the one who really stole the money. He found something last night that seems to indicate Kara really was framed but he doesn't have any hard evidence. So he called Justin this morning and asked to meet with him. Joe told him he was investigating Kara a little more so Justin would agree to see him.

"He said he needed something concrete, that would hold up in court to get Chief Peterson to reopen the investigation and what he has right now is circumstantial. He really feels badly about what happened yesterday so he wanted to check it out before he even mentioned it to you or your Dad, just in case it was nothing."

"Great, the one time he thinks things through, it gets him in trouble," Frank muttered. "So you haven't heard from him at all today?"

"Well, he called me when he got to New York right before noon. He said he didn't expect it to take any more than an hour, if that long and said he'd call me when he was on his way home… he never called, Frank," Vanessa finished, a hint of fear in her voice.

"Do you know exactly what he found that led him to believe this Hahn guy was the real thief?" Frank began pacing the floor, the phone cradled between his neck and shoulder.

"He noticed the transfers suddenly stopped four months ago. He thought that was odd. Kara had no idea the money had been stolen, let alone that she was a suspect until the day she was arrested last week-"

"So why would she stop stealing money four months ago if she had no idea she'd been found out," Frank finished, immediately picking up on the same thing Joe had. "Joe figured it had to be someone at BRG; someone who knew about the investigation. When they realized the theft had been discovered, they stopped the transfers which should have called attention to them, but it got overlooked by both the Feds and the police."

"Right. When Joe first spoke to Kara at lunch that day, she said she had no idea the money had been stolen or that she was a suspect until the day she was arrested, but I don't know if that was in the official report."

Frank frowned. "It wasn't, but I wish it had been. Maybe someone would have picked up on it sooner. Did Joe find out why Hahn was even involved? The investigation wasn't supposed to be common knowledge."

"They needed someone who could get onto Kara's computer and copy the information they wanted without raising her suspicions. Justin works in Tech Services. He told Kara he needed to check for a virus on her computer and asked her to log him on. She didn't think twice about it," Vanessa said, distastefully. "And there's one other thing that might be important – Justin Hahn is Brad Galloway's son-in-law."

Frank stopped pacing, momentarily shocked by that revelation. "What?"

"Supposedly he was the only one Galloway trusted to help with the investigation and keep quiet about it."

"Oh, man, that is _so_ not good." Frank ran a hand through his hair, wondering how Joe always managed to land smack in the middle of trouble without even trying. "Did Joe say why he focused on Hahn as a suspect?" he asked as he resumed pacing. "There had to be a few other people at BRG who knew about the theft and subsequent investigation."

"Only Kara's supervisor and Justin. Joe did background checks on both of them. Seems in the last two years Justin bought a new car, boat, motorcycle and beach house and he paid _cash_ for everything. Joe couldn't find any other source of income for him. He hadn't come into any large sums of money that would allow him to buy all those things with cash."

"Not legally, anyway," Frank mused. "So Joe basically went on a fishing expedition. Figured he'd dangle the bait in front of Hahn and see if the guy might slip up and say something incriminating."

"That was the plan," Vanessa confirmed. "He got there okay, but I never heard from him again after that first phone call. I'm really worried about him, Frank."

"Do you know exactly where they were supposed to meet?"

"A Starbucks…hold on a sec…" Vanessa was silent for a moment, though Frank could hear the rustling of paper, and then she read off an address to him.

"Okay, I'll call Dad and we'll go check it out," Frank said, pulling his jacket out of the closet, "see if anyone remembers seeing Joe and Justin together, maybe overheard them or saw where they headed when they left."

"I'm coming, too."

"Maybe you should stay home," Frank suggested knowing Joe wouldn't want Vanessa along even if the chances of danger were slim. "What if Joe calls and you're not home?"

"He was going to call on my cell phone," Vanessa said stubbornly. "I'm going with you, Frank. If you say no, I'll just go by myself and I'll beat you there since you still have to go explain all this to your Dad," she told him, refusing to take no for an answer.

Frank rolled his eyes in frustration. "You've been hanging around Joe way too long. You're picking up all his bad habits."

"So am I going with you or by myself?"

"Fine, I'll be there in ten minutes," Frank muttered.

"Fine, I'll be waiting in the lobby. Bye."

…

Turning back to Tony and Kara, Vanessa related what Frank had said. They both asked to go along and help in the search for Joe, but Vanessa asked them to stay at the apartment on the off chance Joe called there instead of her cell phone.

Grabbing her coat and purse, Vanessa went down to the lobby to wait for Frank. Peering out into the darkness she prayed they would find Joe safe and sound, fighting off the sense of dread that tried to tell her otherwise.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay. Been trying to upload this since last night but the site is being extremely uncooperative. :-(

Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed and to all who are reading. I realized chapters 17 and 18 were actually very short on their own so I combined them into one. As a bonus that means we get to see a little bit of what's going on with Joe now.

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 17**

Vanessa stared out the window of the car as Frank drove through the streets of Bayport. She had always gotten along particularly well with Fenton Hardy and often looked to him as the father she never had. Tonight, however, she was extremely nervous about seeing him face-to-face, knowing he'd blame her for Joe's disappearance. After all, if she hadn't begged Joe to help Kara, he never would have gone to New York City in the first place.

"Frank, when we get to your parent's house, do you think… could you…" she sighed heavily. "Oh, crap, would you explain to your Dad what happened for me? I know he's already angry with me for getting Joe to help Kara in the first place. Now Joe is missing because of my meddling." She leaned her forehead against the glass in despair.

Frank glanced at Vanessa and shook his head, smiling in amusement.

Vanessa turned and glared at him angrily. "I drove a wedge between Joe and your dad and you think it's funny?"

"Van, you did _not_ drive a wedge between Joe and Dad; and Dad is _not_ angry with you. If anything, you've got him wrapped around your little finger – just like Joe," Frank chuckled.

Vanessa flushed a deep red in embarrassment, thankful for the darkness so Frank couldn't see it. "I do _not_ have Joe wrapped around my little finger," she said icily.

"If you say so," Frank smirked.

"I _do_ say so!" Vanessa snapped. "And don't tell me everything is fine between Joe and your dad – or Joe and you, for that matter." She sighed pathetically once again, leaning her cheek against the cool glass of the window. "And it's all my fault."

"None of that is your fault," Frank insisted. "Geez, if I didn't know better I'd say Joe's guilt complex was starting to rub off on you! Dad honestly thought there was nothing to find. He and I did some checking on our own; we talked to the police and the lawyers. Dad had a long conversation with Uncle Brad. Admittedly he didn't dig as deeply as Joe did, but it all seemed pretty straightforward. Plus, he didn't have the emotional stake in it that Joe did," he finished, glancing at Vanessa.

Vanessa frowned. "What do you mean 'emotional stake'?"

"Joe would do anything for you, Van. _Anything_," Frank said quietly. "And he'd never want to let you down. That would be unforgivable; he'd rather die first. Please don't take this the wrong way, but as long as you kept insisting Kara was innocent, Joe was going to keep looking for something to prove it – regardless of whether he believed it or not.

"Based on what we found out, Dad honestly thought she was guilty and I had my doubts about her innocence, too. We were afraid Joe would drive himself crazy looking for something that didn't exist – just so he wouldn't let you down. If we tried to talk to him about it, he'd get angry."

Hearing a muffled sniffle, Frank looked over and saw Vanessa quickly wiping her eyes. Although he felt a little guilty having made her cry, Frank still thought he should finish what he started and get everything out in the open. Taking a deep breath, he dove in for the finish.

"Van, I don't think Joe really believed Kara was innocent – at least not in the beginning. Didn't he ask you, more than once, if you were sure she was being framed?"

Vanessa nodded, mutely.

"I think that was his way of asking for your permission to stop investigating. As long as you insisted she was innocent, he was going to keep searching for something to prove it, even if he thought there was nothing to find. He'd rather drive himself crazy than let you down."

Vanessa stared out the window at the passing streetlights and tried to talk over the lump in her throat. "But I was right. Joe must have found out something from Justin that proves Kara is innocent." Her voice was shaky and she took little pleasure in her victory.

Faced with Frank's analysis, she suddenly saw everything from a whole different perspective and felt her cheeks flush with shame. It had been inadvertent and unintentional, but Vanessa could now clearly see she had used Joe's absolute devotion to her against him. Looking back, Vanessa realized she had never once asked Joe if _he_ thought Kara was innocent, despite the fact that he had posed that same question to her numerous times.

"It certainly looks that way," Frank agreed with Vanessa's assessment of what must have happened between Joe and Justin. She brushed away another tear and he began to regret his little speech, even if it was the truth. "Van, I'm sorry. I didn't intend to make you feel bad."

Vanessa waved him off with a shaky laugh. "Don't apologize. You're absolutely right. You're just being honest. And as much as it hurts, I needed to hear it. I can't believe I did that." Vanessa shook her head sadly. "I used emotional blackmail on him and I didn't even realize it."

As silence descended on them once more, Frank recalled the conversation he'd had with Joe on New Year's Day.

_"We've put the past behind us," Joe said, his blue eyes gleaming with excitement and anticipation. "This is our year now; only good things ahead."_

'_Maybe he's following a lead and that's why he couldn't call her,'_ Frank thought, before dejectedly correcting himself. _'No, he wouldn't do that to Vanessa, not after last year.' _Gazing into the darkness of the night, Frank sighed inwardly. _'Damn it, Joe, where are you? This isn't supposed to be happening anymore…'_

OOOoooOOO

Joe struggled to fight his way back to consciousness, his efforts thwarted by the familiar rocking motion that tried to lull him back to sleep. The sound of water gently lapping against something enticed him to give in to the feeling and although it was tempting, Joe instinctively fought the urge. Trying to open his eyes, Joe momentarily panicked when he saw nothing but darkness and then realized he was blindfolded. Lying on his side, his knees were bent up awkwardly so the front of his thighs almost touched his chest. Taking stock, Joe found he had also been gagged and tightly bound, hand and foot. Lifting his head slightly, Joe groaned when it immediately made contact with something only a few inches above him.

Unable to see, speak or move, Joe fought the overwhelming urge to panic. Enlisting all his senses, Joe did a mental review of what little information he had – lapping water, gentle rocking motion – and realized he was on a boat. A smallish boat. Concentrating for a few moments, Joe also deduced the boat was tied up at a dock and he was alone. Despite knowing it was futile, Joe tried once more to move, in any direction, and was met with resistance on all sides. The confined space he'd been forced into was much too small for his six-foot frame. Joe visualized anything on a boat that would fit the description of his prison and felt the panic surge. _'The foot locker!?' _

Testing the boundaries again, Joe was sure he had been stuffed into the foot locker or under seat storage space of a boat – Justin Hahn's boat. Unable to move even an inch in any direction, Joe knew he was helpless. There was no way he could escape on his own.

Accepting that he could do nothing but wait for rescue, he consoled himself with the knowledge that he'd shared his plans with Vanessa. Having no idea how much time had passed since Justin had waylaid him outside the coffee shop, he only hoped he'd been gone long enough for her to realize he was in trouble.

'_Don't let me down, Babe. Call Frank and tell him everything!'_

oooOOOooo

Fenton Hardy sat and listened as Frank related what he and Vanessa thought had happened to Joe. Noticing the way Vanessa painfully avoided making eye contact with him, he made a mental note to talk to her once this was all over and Joe was home, safe and sound. He wanted to assure her that whatever had happened between him and Joe was not her fault, but finding Joe had to come first.

As Frank concluded the recap, Fenton shook his head. "The one time Joe does what I ask and thinks things through rationally, he gets in trouble."

Frank grinned, despite the seriousness of the situation. "He was right. It's a gift."

"Well, let's go find him." Fenton stood and walked to the closet, pulling out a heavy winter coat and leather gloves.

The drive into New York City was peppered with theories being exchanged by Frank and Fenton. In the backseat, Vanessa was conspicuously quiet, speaking only when Fenton asked for clarification on something. Slowly driving past the coffee shop where Joe and Justin had met, Fenton pulled into a parking space. The three made their way back to the establishment and lucked out when the clerk who had waited on Joe was still there.

"Oh, yeah, I remember him," she smiled. "Hard to forget those blue eyes."

"Did he stay here or take his coffee to go?" Fenton asked.

She pointed to the table by the window where Joe and Justin had sat. "He stayed. Met one of our regulars who was sitting at that table over there."

"You said the guy he met was a regular? Do you know his name?" Frank pressed.

"No, but he always gets a tall, skinny latte," she recited his order by heart.

"How long were they here?" Fenton resumed the questioning, watching as Vanessa wandered over to the empty table where Joe had been sitting hours earlier.

"Less than thirty minutes; then Latte Guy got up and left." The clerk frowned. "He seemed kinda ticked off about something."

"What about Joe? Did he leave right away or did he stick around?" Frank asked.

The girl smiled. "Joe? You mean Blue Eyes? He stayed maybe a minute or so longer. Just enough to finish his coffee and then he left, too. Headed that way." She pointed to the right. "He was pulling out a cell phone as he walked by the window then I lost track of him."

"So he did try to call Vanessa," Frank murmured to his father. Looking up, he felt a twinge of sympathy as he saw Vanessa run a gloved finger over the empty chair by the window.

"But something happened before he got a chance," Fenton agreed. "Thank you." He waved to the clerk and headed for the exit. Frank rounded up Vanessa and followed him.

Once outside, Frank blew on his hands as the tall buildings of the city created a wind tunnel effect, making the cold January air feel downright arctic. "Where to next?"

"I'm not sure," Fenton murmured, mentally reviewing their options.

"Why don't we check that parking garage?" Frank pointed to a five-story structure on the corner. "I didn't see Joe's car on the street and he probably would have parked as close as he could get. If we find his car, at least we'll know he didn't leave the city voluntarily."

"If he left the city at all." Fenton started down the street.

As they approached the garage, Frank looked up to the top and groaned. "How much you wanna bet he parked on the roof, but of course we won't know that until we search the other four levels first."

"Well, the sooner we start the sooner we'll finish," Fenton said, not sounding much happier than Frank at the task ahead.

Vanessa, who had been silent the entire time, now cleared her throat. As Frank and Fenton turned to face her, Vanessa smiled and dangled a key chain from her finger. "You could search all five floors… or you could just let me press the panic button on the extra set of keys Joe gave me," she said with a sly grin.

Fenton began to chuckle as Frank rolled his eyes, feeling a little stupid. "Just press the button, Van."

As she complied with Frank's request, the garage was filled with the annoying racket of a blaring car horn. Following the sound, they found Joe's car parked right where he'd left it on the third level of the garage. A quick search revealed nothing out of the ordinary and no clue as to what could have happened to Joe.

Frank leaned against the car dejectedly. "Okay, now what?"

Fenton pulled out his cell phone, scrolled down through the stored numbers and pressed a button. "Now we get some answers," he replied, a hard edge in his voice.


	18. Chapter 18

Polaris, whashaza, lexifisher (we get some 'tied up Joe' in this chapter! Bondage! YIPPEE! :p), Miss Fenway, MissMe113, KennaC, Vee22, Surreal Epiphany (I'm just as disturbed as you are when it comes to Joe in danger. ;-) ), daisymall and anette95 - a big thank you for the reviews! :D

Thanks to everyone who is reading. Hope you are enjoying the story. :-)

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 19**

Frank put a comforting arm around Vanessa as they stood and listened to Fenton Hardy's half of the conversation with Brad Galloway.

"Brad, hi, it's Fenton." There was a pause. "Thanks. Listen, I'm sorry to bother you but I'm hoping you can help me out. I don't know if you're aware, but Joe had a meeting with Justin this afternoon. He wanted to tie up some loose ends about Kara, and Justin agreed to help him out." Fenton deftly avoided saying Joe met with Justin because he had considered Galloway's son-in-law a suspect. He now looked at Frank and Vanessa with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, Justin didn't tell you about it? Well, at any rate, they met at Starbucks near Central Park. Joe called Vanessa when he arrived and the clerk confirmed seeing Joe and Justin together. They left separately but Joe never made it home. His car is still parked in the garage a block from Starbucks." Fenton stopped again as Brad expressed surprise and concern.

"Yes, we're starting to get a little worried about him since he's been out of contact so long. I was hoping you could give me Justin's address so we can go talk to him; see if Joe might have mentioned where he was heading when he left," Fenton said evasively.

Quickly he pulled a small notepad and pen from his pocket. Cradling the phone in his shoulder he jotted down Justin's address and directions to his house. "Thanks, Brad. See you there."

Closing the cell phone, he put it back in his pocket and strode rapidly to the elevator, talking over his shoulder. "Brad is going to meet us at Justin's house, to make introductions. It should take us about twenty-five minutes to get there."

"What about Joe's car?" Vanessa asked, hurrying to keep up.

"We'll leave it here for now. We can always come back and get it later." He didn't want to mention that if they had no luck with Justin, the police would need to do a more thorough search of Joe's car and he didn't want to disturb any potential clues.

Half an hour later, Fenton pulled up in front of a large colonial style house on Long Island. Seconds later a car pulled up behind him and Brad Galloway emerged.

"Good to see you again, Fenton. Frank, it's been too long," Brad smiled.

"Nice to see you, Uncle Brad. This is Joe's fiancée, Vanessa Bender."

"Hello, Mr. Galloway." Vanessa extended her hand towards the tall, distinguished looking man with dark brown hair and friendly hazel eyes.

"A pleasure to meet you, Vanessa." Brad smiled. "Now, why don't we go inside and see if Justin can help you out, hm?"

The foursome walked up to the large front porch and waited for an answer when Brad knocked. A moment later the door opened to reveal a very surprised Justin Hahn.

"Brad?! Hi, what are you doing here?" he asked, eyeing the three strangers with his father-in-law.

Frank studied the young man's reaction carefully, noting the mild shock in his voice. He quickly recovered however, stepping aside and motioning the group inside. "Please, come in out of the cold," Justin invited, his face a mask of neutrality.

"Justin, this is my old friend Fenton Hardy. I'm sure you've heard me mention him before. This is his son, Frank, and Vanessa Bender. She's Joe Hardy's fiancée. I believe you met with Joe this afternoon?" Brad smoothly made the introductions and alluded to the reason for the impromptu visit.

Never taking his eyes off Justin, Frank saw him involuntarily take a step back at the name 'Hardy'. His eyes widened slightly and Frank detected a flicker of fear in them right before Justin regained control.

"Yes, I did see Joe today," Justin acknowledged shaking hands all around. "We met at Starbucks on Central Park. He had some questions about Kara, which I answered and then I left. I wasn't there more than twenty minutes. Is there a problem?" he asked smoothly.

"Yes, there is." Fenton stared at Justin. "Joe never made it home."

"Really?" Justin seemed surprised. "Maybe he had some other people to talk to after me."

"No, just you," Frank stated. "That was the only reason he came into the city today – to meet with you."

Fenton never took his eyes off the young man. "Justin, what exactly did you and Joe discuss?"

"The Kara Lidster investigation." Justin's response was vague and he abruptly broke eye contact with Fenton.

Fenton expertly hid his annoyance at Justin's hazy answers. "Could you be a little more specific? It might help us figure out where Joe went after he left the coffee shop."

"This is important, Justin," Brad pressured him. "Anything you can remember might help them find Joe."

"So you know for sure he's missing and not just following up on something he might have discovered?" Justin asked, apparently trying to determine just how much the Hardys knew – or suspected.

"He was supposed to call Vanessa as soon as he finished his meeting with you to let her know he was on his way home," Frank answered, not quite hiding his annoyance as well as his father had. "He never made that call. And he never called my father or me to say he was following up any new leads. So yes, we're fairly certain he's missing."

"I see." Justin's response was noncommittal. Turning his back to the others he rubbed his chin as if in thought. "Let's see, I mentioned that I thought the investigation had been closed and Joe said he was just tying up a few loose ends. I told him I'd answer any questions I could. He did say it seemed that all the evidence pointed to Kara."

Justin continued wandering around the living room, avoiding looking directly at Frank or Fenton at all times. "He confirmed that I was the one who copied the information off Kara's computer onto a disc for the police. He asked me to confirm that the investigation was kept quiet within the firm, which I did." His voice trailed off momentarily and then he spun around and smiled arrogantly. "Then we talked a little about women and how hard they are to understand." He chuckled before looking at Vanessa. "No offense, of course."

Vanessa gave him a mild glare. "Of course."

"That's it?" Frank pressured him. "Joe didn't ask you anything else? You didn't talk about anything else?"

Justin looked away and gazed out the window. "No."

'_You lying son of a bitch!'_ Frank fumed silently, knowing without a doubt Justin Hahn was responsible for his brother's disappearance.

As Frank and Fenton continued trying to get more information out of a decidedly uncooperative Justin, Vanessa was glancing around the room. Her eyes came to rest on a small table against the wall and then widened when she saw the small object half hidden behind a picture frame. Furiously, she began tugging on Frank's sleeve.

Sensing a need for silence, Frank simply looked at Vanessa. She, in turn, looked frantically at the table and then back at him several times. At her odd behavior, Frank idly studied the small table that had captured Vanessa's attention and his heart tightened. He nodded at her, indicating he'd seen it also and then focused on Justin once again.

"I wish I could help you Mr. Hardy, but the last time I saw Joe he was still sitting in Starbucks," Justin insisted.

"You're sure?" Frank asked.

"Yes," Justin replied, clearly frustrated.

Silently Frank turned his head and stared at the table, waiting for Justin's reaction.

"Oh!" Justin exclaimed. "I can't believe I forgot about that!" He lunged for the table and picked up the cell phone lying there – _Joe's_ cell phone. "When I left the coffee shop, Joe had started to call someone. I went to the newsstand on the corner to buy a magazine. Walking back by Starbucks, I noticed Joe was gone but he'd left his cell phone on the table. We'd been sitting by the window," Justin finished lamely, offering the phone to Frank. "Can you give it back to him? When you find him, of course."

"Of course," Frank said icily, accepting the phone. It did not escape his notice that Justin's hands were shaking slightly. He also noticed Justin said Joe had made a phone call while still _inside_ Starbucks; the clerk had said she saw Joe pull out his cell phone once he was _outside_ the store.

Justin looked from Fenton to Brad. "Sorry I couldn't be more help."

"Thank you for your time," Fenton said tightly. "Brad, I'm sure we'll talk soon." With that he turned towards Frank and Vanessa. "Let's go."

The three walked solemnly back to the car and got in. Fenton started the car and pulled away. Driving down the street, he made a U-turn and drove past Justin's house. Making another U-turn he glided to a stop in the shadows and cut the lights. "He said Joe started to call someone while he was still at Starbucks. The clerk said just the opposite – he didn't even pull his cell phone out until he was outside. So how could Joe have left his cell phone on the table for Justin to find?" Fenton stared at the house, his brown eyes almost black "He's lying and I want to know why."

While they sat and waited Brad emerged from the house. Waving goodbye to his son-in-law, he got in his car and drove off. Idly, Frank pulled out Joe's cell phone and turned it on.

"Five messages," he observed looking at the display. "Maybe we should listen to them, just in case."

"Don't bother," Vanessa said miserably. "They're all from me."

Fenton gazed at her in the rearview mirror and his heart twisted at the look on her face – lost and alone. "Don't worry, honey. We'll find him," he tried to reassure her.

Vanessa nodded numbly in response and stared out the window into the night, half listening as Frank and Fenton discussed their options. She suddenly leaned forward into the front seat and pointed agitatedly. "Look!"

Frank and Fenton snapped their heads forward just in time to see the garage door open and Justin come flying out. He backed out into the street oblivious to the three pair of eyes watching him, and took off at high speed. Fenton looked at Frank grimly and then set off in pursuit of Justin Hahn.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Yup, once again this chapter was way too short on it's own so I smushed two of 'em together. ;-)

Thank you so much for the reviews! You guys are great and I appreciate each and every one of them.

Thanks to _everyone_ who is reading.

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 20**

Less than an hour later, Fenton Hardy followed Justin Hahn into a deserted parking lot, keeping enough distance not to alert his quarry that he'd been followed. To the left was an array of boats, in various shapes and sizes, tied up at a seemingly endless dock. While most of the boats were obviously in storage for the winter, awaiting warmer days, a few remained open and uncovered.

Slowing down, he watched as Justin pulled into an empty space at the far end of the lot. Waiting until Justin got out of his car and disappeared down a path between two rows of boats, Fenton sped forward, parking close to Justin's car. He got out of the car as Frank and Vanessa quickly scrambled out and joined him.

"Vanessa," Fenton turned to her, fearing he was in for a battle. "Why don't you stay here while Frank and I…" his voice trailed off as Vanessa shook her head fiercely.

"No. Not a chance! I'm coming with you."

As Fenton looked to Frank, hoping for some help in convincing her, the sound of a motor starting up split the silence of the winter night. Frank's eyes grew wide as he turned in the direction of the sound. "Come on! He's getting away!"

oooOOOooo

Joe tugged at the rope binding his wrists behind his back for the umpteenth time. He winced as the rough twine rubbed at his raw skin, evidence of his futile attempts to escape. Cursing silently, he kicked at the back of his prison in frustration.

It had seemed an eternity since he'd awakened in total darkness. His hands and feet were numb, his muscles screamed painfully at their unnaturally restricted position and he was shivering violently from the cold January night air. Joe was certain had he not been gagged, his teeth would be chattering incessantly. At one point his imagination tried to convince him he'd been there for days on end with no one searching for him, a thought he crushed into submission and tossed aside.

'_Vanessa knows I'm gone. She knows I'm in trouble. She'll tell Frank. He'll be here any minute now, just wait and see… wait… he'll be here… ANY TIME NOW, FRANK!!_'

Accepting that rescue would be a little longer in coming, Joe reviewed the facts and theories he had on Justin Hahn. _'What an idiot! Everything I had on him was circumstantial! None of it would hold up in court. He could've gotten away with everything, but he went and kidnapped me anyway. How stupid can he be…'_ Joe kicked out again in aggravation. _'So if he's the stupid idiot how come __I'm__ the one tied up in a footlocker?'_

With another resigned sigh, Joe tried his best to relax by thinking 'warm' thoughts. He periodically reminded himself Frank would be there – sooner or later. His attempts at relaxation were rudely brought to a halt as the boat suddenly rocked back and forth, alerting him to the presence of another person. _'Hahn!'_ Joe thought angrily. His anger quickly turned to apprehension and downright fear when the engine started and he felt the boat slowly backing out of its slip.

'_FRANK,WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!'_

oooOOOooo

Fenton grabbed Vanessa's hand and took off at a dead run. Their feet pounded down the wooden dock as they tried to keep up with Frank who still had Justin in sight.

Frank pointed to the speedboat Justin had boarded at the very end of the dock. "The last one!"

Looking around frantically, Frank saw just what he needed. "This way!" He veered right and jumped onto the only boat in sight that hadn't been prepped for winter storage. Fenton and Vanessa quickly followed.

"Keep him in sight!" Frank ordered as he lifted the motor cover. Bending over the imposing piece of machinery Frank repeatedly tried to hotwire the motor, cursing when he couldn't get it to catch.

While Vanessa had heeded his call to keep an eye on Justin and was now perched on the bow watching his every move, Fenton stared at Frank intently, silently urging him on to success. Feeling his father's eyes on his back, Frank glanced over his shoulder apologetically.

"Sorry. Joe usually does this. He's a lot faster at it than I am," he muttered by way of explanation.

Fenton blanched. "Joe _usually_ does this?!" he repeated, incredulous. "Exactly how often do you and your brother steal boats?!"

Frank felt himself flush with embarrassment. "Only in the line of duty – YES!" he exulted when the motor finally roared to life.

"Hurry up, or we'll lose him when he turns out into the bay!!" Vanessa cried anxiously.

"We won't lose him, Van," Frank assured her, determination in his voice. "And he's going to lead us right to Joe."

Only the sound of the motor was heard as Frank steered the craft masterfully across the bay. Despite the fact that there were few other boats on the water, Justin did not appear to notice he was being followed. Having found a pair of high-powered binoculars in a quick search of the stolen boat, Fenton was now giving a terse report on Justin's activities, which consisted mainly of him glancing back at the footlocker every few minutes. Several tense moments passed when Justin suddenly came to a stop at the deepest part of the bay.

"What's he doing?" Frank asked confused. He idled the motor, close enough to keep an eye on Justin, but far enough away not to be spotted. "Why would he stop in the middle of the bay?"

"I don't know," Fenton murmured. "He's opening the footlocker. It looks like he's trying to pull something out but, he's having trouble," Fenton continued, puzzled. A moment later, he gasped loudly. "Oh, my God! Go, Frank! _GO_!"

Reacting to the urgency in his father's voice, Frank gunned the motor. The boat leapt forward as spray from the water shot across the bow. Hearing the sound of his father flinging the binoculars to the floor of the boat, Frank looked back over his shoulder. Fenton Hardy was frantically removing his shoes, heavy winter coat and the woolen sweater beneath it. Frank looked up into Vanessa's eyes, which he was sure held as much trepidation as his own.

"Dad," Frank said refocusing his attention on steering the boat. "What did he pull out of the footlocker?"

Before Fenton could reply, Vanessa scooped up the binoculars and saw for herself what had Fenton so upset. "JOE!!"

"Joe," Fenton repeated his voice tight. "He was in the footlocker – bound, gagged and blindfolded."

"Is he conscious?" Frank asked, pushing the boat to its limit, cursing as the darkness made it impossible for him to see anything of Justin's boat other than the running lights.

"I think so." Fenton stood and moved to the rail, leaning as far forward as he dared, as if that would make the boat go faster.

"Oh, no!" Vanessa gasped. She watched through the binoculars, helpless, as Justin pushed Joe up against the rail and gave him a hard shove. "NO!" Still bound, gagged and blindfolded, Joe tumbled over the side of the boat and disappeared into the freezing dark waters below.

oooOOOooo

Joe gasped the second he hit the freezing water. Inhaling sharply, water filled his nostrils, causing him to gag. The dirty rag in his mouth prevented him from clamping his mouth shut and he found himself swallowing even more water. Unable to move his hands or feet, Joe felt himself sink like a stone and quickly panicked.

Twisting and turning, desperately trying to free himself, Joe used up what little oxygen he'd had left in his lungs. Hitting bottom, he swallowed yet another mouthful of dirty water, at the same time trying to hold his breath.

'_Stop! Don't panic!'_ As his lungs screamed for air, Joe tried to settle on the best course of action – push himself up from the bottom or try and get his hands in front of himself first? Deciding it would be better to have his hands to help propel himself to the surface, Joe bent his knees and crouched down, trying to wriggle his arms down and bring them up in front of him.

His lungs began to burn and spots danced behind his closed eyelids. _'Don't pass out!'_ he admonished himself, knowing he had only seconds before the inevitable happened. With a last, desperate effort Joe finally pulled his arms up over his ankles, cradling his hands in front of his chest.

'_Now push!'_ Joe ordered himself.

While his spirit was more than willing, the contortions Joe had to go through to get his hands in front of him had depleted his very last reserves of oxygen. His muscles were still numb from disuse, and his limbs simply refused to obey his commands. Feeling conscious thought slowly fade away, Joe relaxed, inhaling a final mouthful of water as he gave into the darkness.

'_I love you, Vanessa…'_

oooOOOooo

"Keep your eyes on the spot where Joe went over!" Fenton ordered Vanessa, knowing immediately what had happened. Scrambling to the bow, he turned on the high-powered searchlight and began playing it over the foreboding waters of the bay. "Tell me when I hit the spot where Joe went under." A muffled sniffle was his only reply.

Thirty seconds later they arrived at the spot Vanessa had indicated and drifted to a stop. "Get up here and hold this!" Fenton barked at Frank, even as he was making his way to the edge of the boat. In one fluid motion, Fenton dove over the rail and disappeared beneath the water.

…

Taking his father's place next to the searchlight, Frank checked his watch. _'He's been under for almost a full minute already! If he was bound and gagged he won't be able to hold his breath; he'll be swallowing seawater like crazy!'_ Frank suddenly hated the logical way his brain worked.

"How long can he survive under there?" Vanessa asked in a choked voice.

"He's a great swimmer, Van. He can hold his breath forever," Frank responded lamely, knowing how ridiculous he sounded. They both pointedly ignored the fact it would be impossible for Joe to hold his breath or swim with the way he'd been bound.

The tense silence was finally broken as Fenton surfaced. Vanessa's heart soared only to plummet just as quickly – Fenton was alone. Taking another deep breath, he disappeared beneath the surface again.

'_If he's been in that footlocker all day, he'll never be able to swim – even if he did manage to get free…'_ Frank continued his morbidly logical train of thought, checking his watch again. _'Two minutes…' _

Hearing Vanessa sniffle again, Frank's heart twisted in pain. He continued to play the spotlight over the area where Vanessa had last seen Joe, praying for a miracle. He let his hopes rise as Fenton once again broke the surface, but they were quickly dashed as Fenton shook his head. There was no sign of Joe and Fenton Hardy looked as if he were beginning to panic. Just as he was about to submerge for the third time, Vanessa's frantic cry stopped him.

"There!" She clamored onto the bow and grabbed Frank's arm. "There! Air bubbles!"

Frank fixed the searchlight on the spot as Fenton dove one more time. Seconds ticked by feeling like an eternity. Frank kept one hand on the light and one arm tightly around Vanessa, the two of them taking refuge in the other's touch. Suddenly Fenton broke the surface with Joe clutched under one arm. Instinctively Frank looked at his watch.

'_Over three minutes! Four minutes without oxygen causes brain death!' _

Pushing the horrifying thought out of his mind, Frank scrambled off the bow after Vanessa. Leaning over the side of the boat, they pulled the unconscious Joe aboard.

Laying him on the floor of the boat, Vanessa pulled off the gag and blindfold and immediately checked his pulse. She smiled up at Frank, tears in her eyes, when she felt the comforting thump-thump-thump against her fingers. As Frank cut the ropes on Joe's wrists, Vanessa leaned down and checked his breathing. Her smile suddenly disappeared and her eyes grew huge.

"Oh, God, Frank! He's not breathing!!" She repositioned Joe's head and checked again.

Frank hovered closely, feeling helpless as Vanessa began rescue breathing. _'Come on, little brother…BREATHE!'_


	20. Chapter 20

As always, thank you so much to all those who have reviewed! :-)

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 22**

Feeling the boat begin to move, Frank looked up and saw Fenton at the wheel. He was heading back to the docks at top speed. Aghast, Frank realized he'd forgotten all about his father the second they'd gotten Joe aboard the boat.

"Frank, call 911!" Fenton ordered. "Tell them to have an ambulance waiting for us at the docks. Longpoint Marina."

Frank pulled out his cell phone and made the call, his eyes never leaving Joe and Vanessa. He explained to the operator what had happened and answered all her questions, hanging up only after she assured him an ambulance would meet them at the dock.

As he ended the call and returned the cell phone to his pocket, Frank heard a loud coughing, gagging sound. Lunging forward, he helped Vanessa roll Joe onto his side.

As Joe began spitting out large mouthfuls of filthy water, Frank wrinkled his nose. "Okay, that's gross!" He backed off a few steps, quickly deciding to let Vanessa handle things.

Fenton laughed at Frank's assessment, thinking it was the most wonderful sound he'd ever heard. "See if you can find some blankets." It was almost a full minute later, before the coughing subsided, leaving Joe breathing heavily and visibly shivering.

Vanessa murmured softly to Joe as Frank searched for the blankets, eventually finding a stockpile beneath one of the seats. He handed three of them to Vanessa and wrapped one around his father's shoulders. Returning to Vanessa's side, Frank helped her envelop Joe in a protective layer of blankets.

Sitting as close to Joe as possible, Vanessa rubbed his arms and back, continuing to speak to him in a low, soothing voice.

"Joe? You okay, bro?" Frank asked, concerned. Joe couldn't stop shivering and his lips were an interesting shade of blue against his pale, clammy skin. "Joe?" Frank repeated, leaning closer to his brother when Joe remained silent. _'Oh, God, maybe he __**does**__ have brain damage!'_ Frank thought wildly. "Come on, Joe, say something!!"

"Wh-what t-t-took you s-s-so l-l-long?!?" Joe stuttered, glaring at Frank. Involuntarily he coughed again, spitting out a final mouthful of dirty water, which landed unceremoniously on Frank's sneaker-clad feet.

While Fenton wisely stifled his amusement, Vanessa laughed out loud at the look of annoyance on Frank's face. "Thanks a lot," he muttered in disgust.

"S-s-sorry," Joe stuttered with a shrug, although the grin on his face belied the apology.

Scrounging around for a towel, Frank bent over and began wiping his feet. "So what happened? How'd you end up being shark bait?"

Joe made several attempts to explain how Justin had managed to pull off his sneak attack, each time being stopped by uncontrollable stuttering.

Fenton looked back and smiled sympathetically at his shivering son. "Why don't you wait until we get to the hospital and you get warmed up before you try and give us the gory details."

At the word hospital, Joe became highly agitated. "N-no way! N-no hospital! I'm f-f-fine!"

"Oh, no. You're not talking your way out of this one." Fenton was just as insistent. "Your mother would kill me if she knew I didn't take you to the hospital to be checked out. So you're going. End of discussion."

"B-but D-dad," Joe whined.

Fenton cut him off, shaking his head adamantly. "No. This is self-preservation – mine! And while you're at the hospital, Frank and I will go pay a little visit to Justin."

"N-not without me!" Joe said heatedly. "I w-want a p-piece of th-that guy!"

"Joe," Frank said patiently. "We just fished you out of the bay. You weren't breathing, you swallowed God knows how much of that filthy water and you've probably got hypothermia to boot. Let us handle Justin, okay?"

"N-no w-way," Joe said angrily through chattering teeth. "That t-twit tried to make f-fish food outta m-me! I wanna see his f-face when I return from the d-dead!"

Frank tried not to laugh. "Well, at least go to the hospital first and get warmed up before you confront him."

Joe narrowed his eyes at his brother. "W-w-why?"

Frank grinned. "Because chattering teeth don't do a whole lot to enhance your tough guy image."

Glaring at Frank, Joe attempted to free an arm from his cocoon of blankets without much success. Swearing under his breath at his inability to move, he felt Vanessa lean behind him and heard a yelp from Frank.

"Hey!! What was that for?" Frank cried out.

"For making fun of my tough guy fiancé," Vanessa replied as she resumed rubbing Joe's back and arms.

"Th-thanks B-babe." Joe stuck his tongue out at Frank before accepting a kiss from Vanessa.

"What are _you_ laughing at?" Frank asked his father, as he rubbed the back of his head where Vanessa had swatted him.

"Who me?" Fenton called back innocently. "Not a thing."

Joe furrowed his brow in worried concentration. "Hey, d-did you say I w-wasn't breathing?"

"Yeah, why?" Frank answered.

Joe looked first at Frank and then Vanessa. "Uh, exactly w-which one of you… you know, brought me b-back around?" he asked guardedly.

As they exchanged confused glances, the meaning of Joe's question suddenly dawned on Frank and Vanessa. Frank chuckled softly but Vanessa burst into laughter.

"Joe, you're my brother. I love you and I'd do anything for you. But since Vanessa was here and knew what to do..." Frank trailed off with a shrug of his shoulders.

"G-good," Joe stuttered, wrinkling his nose distastefully. "I'd rather n-not have you p-put a l-l-lip lock on me in f-front of my f-f-fiancée!"

"Ewwww!" Vanessa exclaimed. "I just got a visual on that!" Her laughter turned into hysterical giggling and Frank laughed out loud, as Joe's eyes widened in horror.

Fenton Hardy, however, was laughing so hard he was almost in tears as Joe glared at her, not at all amused by the comment.

"Talk about brotherly love!" Fenton hooted.

"Dad…" Joe said, catching his father's attention.

"Yes?" Fenton wiped at his eyes, as his laughter finally began to die down.

"Sh-shut up and steer the b-boat." Joe slouched down into the blankets and pulled them up over his head.

The sound of Fenton, Frank and Vanessa erupting in howls of delight echoed over the still waters of the bay.


	21. Chapter 21

Vee22, special agent Ali, nicoleylewis, Polaris, Miss Fenway, MissMe113, annette95, Surreal Epiphany, daisymall13, whashaza, KennaC, Helen, lexifisher – thanks so much for the reviews. Glad you enjoyed the last chapter. I do like to torment Joe but _everything_ doesn't have to end up as a deathbed vigil. ;-) I like humor just as much as angst and sometimes the messes he gets himself into are just plain funny.

alendil – Thanks for the laugh! I passed your comments on to a few friends who also found them amusing. Sorry darlin', but flames like yours are the equivalent of whiney, self-absorbed children, who pout and stamp their feet because they didn't get what they wanted. Sad, pathetic and easily ignored.

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 21**

Fenton expertly steered the stolen boat back into its slip and cut the engine. Patting the wheel, he shook his head thinking of the fast talking he'd have to do to explain the boat's sudden disappearance to the owner. Seeing the flashing red lights at the end of pier, Fenton turned and looked at Joe with a grin. "Your chariot awaits. Let's go."

Having seen the boat arrive, the EMT's hustled down the pier with a stretcher and were waiting as the foursome disembarked, with Joe complaining loudly that he was perfectly capable of walking to the ambulance. However after a stern look from his father and a little cajoling and a few well-placed kisses from Vanessa, Joe finally took a seat on the stretcher, rolling his eyes as the medics strapped him in.

He was rolled to the waiting ambulance and quickly placed inside, with Vanessa climbing in behind him. One of the EMTs joined him while the other waited by the back door of the vehicle looking at a wet and disheveled Fenton Hardy expectantly.

Frank nudged his father. "Um, I think they're waiting for you to get in, too."

"Me?" Fenton asked, surprised. "There's nothing wrong with me that some dry clothes and a hot cup of coffee won't cure!"

"Excuse me, Dad, but you did take a long dip in the freezing, filthy water too," Joe called out from inside the ambulance. "You wouldn't want me to tell Mom that you refused to get checked out, do you?"

Fenton swore he could see the mischievous twinkle in Joe's blue eyes even at this distance. "Blackmailed by my own son." Admitting defeat, he climbed into the ambulance and took a seat on the bench next to Vanessa. "Frank, can you grab my duffel bag out of the trunk? At least I'll have some dry clothes to change into," he muttered, pulling the wet blanket around him a little tighter.

A moment later Frank popped his head in the back of the vehicle and handed Fenton the bag. "I'll meet you at the hospital." He waved, chuckling at the sight of Joe and Fenton looking like a pair of drowned rats.

oooOOOooo

Seated in the waiting room Vanessa looked at her watch and sighed. Upon arriving at the emergency room, Joe and Fenton were hustled into exam rooms while Vanessa was left to fill out paperwork and cool her heels in the waiting area. Frank had arrived a few minutes later and hovered at the receptionist's desk until he was told it would be a while before either Joe or Fenton were seen since they weren't _"unconscious or bleeding to death". _

Rather than sit and wait, Frank had elected to take the subway back to the garage to pick up Joe's car – and the extra set of clothes he knew Joe kept in the trunk. That had been well over an hour ago and Vanessa hadn't heard a word about either Joe or Fenton since. Leaning her head back against the wall, she closed her eyes and smiled, grateful that Joe was safe.

"Vanessa?"

She opened her eyes and looked up at Fenton Hardy. "Did they tell you anything about Joe?" she asked anxiously.

"They're still running some tests, but they seem fairly confident he won't have to stay overnight." He took a seat beside her. "While we're waiting I'd like to talk to you."

Vanessa shifted uneasily. "Oh. Okay."

Fenton smiled, thinking how much she reminded him of Joe whenever he thought he was about to get in trouble for something but he wasn't quite sure what. Reaching out, he took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. "What happened between Joe and I had nothing at all to do with you."

Vanessa sat up a little straighter, her eyes widening in surprise. "How did you know?"

"I'd like to think I can read people pretty well," he winked. "And I know you think the tension between Joe and I was somehow your fault. It wasn't, honey."

"But if I hadn't insisted Joe help Kara, that 'tension' never would have happened."

"If you hadn't insisted Joe help Kara, an innocent woman would have gone to prison," Fenton corrected her. "You stuck up for a friend. You believed in her and tried to help her."

"But it caused trouble between you and Joe," Vanessa said, her voice filled with regret.

"No, it didn't." Fenton smiled at the young woman he already considered a daughter. "We did that all by ourselves. We're too much alike sometimes. Stubborn and pig-headed with a short fuse and a long temper." He patted her hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, honey, it had nothing to do with you."

"So, you're not angry with me?" Vanessa asked tentatively. "Or Joe?"

"Angry? No, not at all," Fenton replied. "In fact I couldn't be more proud – and grateful – that you're going to be my daughter-in-law. You make Joe very happy and that makes me very happy." He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the cheek.

"Thank you," Vanessa whispered, her eyes shining brightly.

Fenton smiled. "You're very welcome."

"Mr. Hardy?"

Fenton and Vanessa turned to see a woman dressed in scrubs and a white lab coat.

"Dr. Cochran." Fenton stood and addressed, the tall, stocky doctor who had treated him. "This is Joe's fiancée, Vanessa Bender." He introduced Vanessa, putting an arm around her shoulder. "How is Joe?"

Seeing Frank come in, Fenton waved him over as the doctor began her response. "Well, he swallowed a pretty good amount of sea water and as I'm sure you know, it's not the cleanest in the world. He's also suffering from mild hypothermia and has some abrasions on his wrists from the ropes. Given his medical history, I've prescribed an antibiotic to ward off any infection." Seeing Vanessa's worried frown, she smiled. "The good news is the precautionary x-rays showed no sign of skull fracture and Joe is not exhibiting any signs of concussion. I think if you take him home, put him to bed and keep him warm, he'll be good as new in a day or two."

"Thank you," Fenton said, relieved. "Can Vanessa take him some dry clothes to change into?" He nodded at the small duffel bag Frank was holding.

"Certainly. He's in exam room three." She pointed towards the doors to the E.R. "I'll let them know you'll be coming in."

As Vanessa reached for the bag, Frank pulled it back slightly. "Uh, would you mind if I brought it to him?" Frank asked. "I need to talk to him… alone."

Vanessa shrugged. "Sure."

"Thanks." Frank turned and strode to the emergency room. Pushing the doors open, he walked down the corridor, dodging nurses and orderlies, looking for exam room three.

oooOOOooo

Joe sat on the end of the exam table and pulled the insulated blanket tighter around him. Swinging his feet back and forth, Joe thought back over the past few days and shook his head, disgusted with himself. He'd thought nothing of putting Frank in the middle of his battle of wills with Fenton. In fact, he'd purposely manipulated his brother and used Frank's accommodating nature to avoid taking responsibility for his own actions.

'_You need to grow up, Hardy!'_ he berated himself. _'And you can start by apologizing to Frank as soon as you see him.'_

"I'd knock but that's kinda hard to do on a curtain." Frank's voice floated into the tiny room from the hallway. A second later his head appeared between the edge of the curtain and the doorframe.

"Frank!" Joe spun around, thinking he should be hearing the theme from _The Twilight Zone_ at the timing of Frank's sudden appearance.

"How're you feeling?" Frank smiled, coming into the room. "I brought you some dry clothes." He offered Joe the duffel.

"Oh, man, you're a life saver!" Joe exclaimed, eager to get out of the paper-thin hospital gown. He reached out and took the bag, grabbing Frank's forearm with his other hand. He held it tightly, looking up at his older brother in earnest.

"Frank, I owe you an apology," he blurted out, determined to keep the promise he'd just made to himself. "I put you in the middle – between me and Dad – and that wasn't right. I knew if I pouted and whined enough, you'd take care of my problems for me. I acted like a spoiled brat and I'm sorry."

…

Frank stared at his brother, a little surprised at the admission. He'd intended to come in here and lovingly but firmly tell Joe he needed to grow up a little and be more aware of the toll his and Fenton's disputes took on him. Frank bit his lip to hide a smile; Joe had apparently figured it out on his own.

"You're right." Frank crossed his arms over his chest. "You _did_ act like a spoiled brat. And you _did_ use me just so you could avoid hashing things out with Dad yourself. I don't like being put in the middle like that, Joe. Not by you _or_ Dad."

"I know I screwed up, Frank. And I'm sorry…really sorry…" Joe stared at his brother, his eyes begging forgiveness. "I promise I'll be more aware of your feelings," Joe continued, hating it when Frank was angry with him and willing to do anything to make things right with his brother. "And I'll never, _ever_ put you in the middle again – I swear!" Joe said desperately.

"Let's not get carried away." Frank rolled his eyes, certain it would happen again, although confident it wouldn't be nearly as often. "Apology accepted. Now get dressed so we can get out of here." Frank turned to leave.

"Thanks, bro," Joe said gratefully, admiration for his brother clearly heard in his voice. "You know the whole time I was tied up in that footlocker, I knew you'd come through for me," he continued, not about to let the opportunity for a little humor get away.

Frank turned and looked at Joe questioningly. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah, I knew you'd save my butt, again." Joe grinned. "If for no other reason than the sheer excitement I bring to your life!"

Frank stared at his brother and shook his head. "And who'd want a life of peace and quiet when they could have _YOU_!"

"Exactly!" Joe beamed, hopping off the table and opening the duffel bag.

Frank smiled and shook his head. "I'll wait out here."

"Hey, Dad hasn't called Chief Peterson yet has he?" Joe asked. "I mean it, I want to take down Hahn myself!"

"Not yet. He's waiting to talk to you first. Once we know what we're dealing with, then we can come up with a plan."

Joe appeared from behind the curtain, dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, smiling broadly. "Not necessary. I already have a plan! Let's go!" He took off down the corridor.

"He's got a plan," Frank muttered trailing behind. "God help us all."


	22. Chapter 22

Thank you so much for the reviews! You guys rock! :-)

This chapter was only three pages originally, so I smushed two chapters together again. Three pages is just too short! ;-)

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 22**

Fenton, Frank, Joe and Vanessa were seated in a secluded corner of the waiting room listening to Joe explain exactly how he'd ended up becoming the hunted instead of the hunter.

"So Justin never admitted to anything?" Fenton frowned.

Joe shook his head. "Nope, not a thing."

"Pretty stupid of him to grab you then," Frank commented.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, too. Of course I had plenty of time on my hands to contemplate things like that."

"Well," Fenton began, "we can at least get him behind bars for kidnapping and attempted murder. Hopefully that will be enough to convince Sam to re-open the embezzlement investigation. After all, Hahn would had have no reason to go after Joe if Joe weren't on the right track with his theory."

Joe's blue eyes darkened with anger. "I want one more shot at him before you call Sam."

"He's got a plan," Frank announced, wrinkling his nose.

Fenton sat back and looked at Joe. "Well, let's hear it."

"We go back to Justin's house tonight. I'll knock on the door – alone. You guys will be waiting in the car. He'll be so shocked to see me alive I can easily force my way inside. Then I'll get him talking and get him to confess."

"That's it?" Frank asked. "That's your grand plan?"

Joe stuck his chin out stubbornly. "Do you have a better one?"

Frank stared at his brother. "Yeah, call the police and let them handle it! Do you have a death wish or something?" he asked in exasperation.

"It's a great plan!"

"It's a lousy plan! The guy has a gun, Joe, or have you forgotten that little fact?"

Joe rolled his eyes. "No, I haven't forgotten."

"Well, what if he decides to _use_ it this time?" Frank asked, irritably.

"He has a point, Joe," Fenton cut in. "Justin already tried to kill you once. Odds are he'll try again when he sees his first attempt failed. Right now, he thinks you're the only one who suspects he stole the money. As long as you're out of the picture, he's home free."

"Look, he's gonna be so surprised to see me standing on his doorstep – alive and well – I'll have plenty of time to get the jump on him," Joe insisted.

As Frank and Fenton protested Joe's plan and Joe vehemently defended it, Vanessa, who had been quietly listening to everything finally spoke, bringing all arguments to a halt. Her voice was low, but firm. "No." Slowly, she turned and looked at Joe, her eyes showing both mild fear and fierce determination. "You will _not_ confront Justin alone."

The three Hardy men stared at her, taken aback. None of the women in their lives had ever interfered in an investigation. It was an unspoken rule that had never been broken – until tonight.

"I watched him throw you off that boat. I saw you go under. I saw your father dive – _repeatedly_ – searching for you, and come up alone," she said softly, tears shining in her eyes. "I had to _breathe_ for you, Joe, not sure if you'd ever breathe on your own again. Justin tried to kill you once. Do _not_ ask me to sit in a car with Frank and your father and wonder if this time he'll succeed."

Joe swallowed hard and stared at the floor in shame. He'd been so excited at the prospect of finally being able to nail Justin himself, he hadn't even considered how witnessing his near murder had affected Vanessa. Reaching out, he put an arm around his fiancée and pulled her close. Raising his head, he looked at Frank and Fenton.

"I think my plan needs a few modifications. Any suggestions?"

Frank thought for a moment. Knowing how badly Joe wanted to take down Justin himself, he threw out an idea that would allow Joe to do just that, but still have the back-up he needed.

"How's this? We go back to his house tonight. You and I go up to the door together, but you stay hidden. I'll knock and when Justin answers he'll just see me there. I'm sure his first question will be _'Have you found Joe yet?'_ That will be your cue to make your grand entrance.

"You're right about the fact that he'll be so shocked we won't have any trouble getting inside. Since we'll both be there, he'll have to realize other people know what you discovered that makes him a prime suspect. You can still question him and try to get him to confess, but I'll be right there to back you up. He'd have to be a complete idiot to try anything."

Joe thought about it for a moment and slowly nodded. "I like it."

"Just to be on the safe side, I want to call Sam first. I want him there when Hahn confesses so there can be no question that you two coerced him into it," Fenton added. "We put a wire on both of you and get everything on tape. Once we've got what we need, Sam and his men can move in and arrest him."

"You can never have too much back-up," Frank prodded his brother.

Joe furrowed his brow in concentration, and then turned to Vanessa. "What do you think, Babe?"

"Me?" She seemed startled to be included in the decision.

"Yeah, how does that sound to you?"

She smiled. "It sounds like you'll be well protected."

"Okay, then." Joe took Vanessa's hand and stood up. "Let's go."

oooOOOooo

Frank and Joe sat in the back of the police van that was parked around the block from Justin Hahn's house.

"Testing," Frank said, waiting for a response from his father.

"You're coming through just fine," Fenton's voice crackled over the receiver in the van. He, Sam and Vanessa were seated in his car across the street from Justin's house. "Joe, how about you?"

"Can you hear me now?" Joe grinned at his brother, unable to resist quoting the annoying cell phone commercial.

Sam's voice came back, accompanied by an amused chuckle. "We can hear you. Everyone is in place on this end. You can move in whenever you're ready."

"Yes, sir," Joe said crisply, getting the adrenaline rush that always accompanied the thrill of confronting a suspect.

"Easy, tiger," Frank warned, although his smile could be seen in the dim light. "We aren't even there yet."

Joe waved him off, bouncing with excitement. "Yeah, yeah, you worry too much."

"Someone has to," Frank muttered.

As the van pulled to a stop near Justin's house, Frank looked at his younger brother. "You ready, bro?"

"Always! Let's go, partner!" Joe threw open the back door of the van and jumped out, blending seamlessly into the night.

oooOOOooo

With a final glance to his right to make sure Joe was out of sight, Frank knocked on the door. He soon heard approaching footsteps and the door swung open to reveal a very surprised Justin Hahn.

"Frank! Ah…what are you doing here?" he stammered, caught off guard at Frank's appearance. He quickly regained a measure of composure. "Have you found Joe yet?"

"Funny you should ask, because as a matter of fact-"

"He has." Joe stepped up behind his older brother and smiled darkly. "Hello, Justin. Long time, no see."

Justin inhaled sharply at the 'ghost' before him and rapidly took several steps backwards. "You-you're… You should be…" he stuttered.

"I should be what?" Joe demanded, pushing his way inside with Frank right on his heels. "_Dead_?"

"Yes – NO!" Justin retreated further into the house. He stumbled over an ottoman, powerless to take his eyes off Joe. "What… how…" His eyes were huge and he seemed to be hyperventilating, and if Joe wasn't mistaken, shaking with fear.

"This is even better than I thought," Joe murmured to Frank, thoroughly enjoying Justin's reaction. "You know attempted murder is a pretty serious crime," he stated, dogging Justin's every step.

Frank hung back just a bit. "Not to mention kidnapping."

Backing into a desk up against the far wall, Justin finally came to a stop, the collision with the furniture seeming to bring him to his senses somewhat. Looking at Joe, a hint of arrogance returned to his face and he remained silent, apparently realizing anything he said would incriminate him even further.

"You know, you may be a whiz with computers but you're a lousy hit man," Frank observed.

Justin looked at him a little bewildered, but said nothing.

"When you're about to commit murder, it's always a good idea to look around every once in a while and make sure you're not being _followed_," Joe advised.

Justin's eyes widened momentarily as he realized what Joe was implying. He looked at Frank. "So you followed me."

Knowing they'd get more out of Justin if he thought no one else had witnessed his attempt to kill Joe, Frank nodded. "Dad and Vanessa went back to Bayport in case Joe showed up there," he improvised. "They wanted me to go too, but I insisted on staying in town and digging around a little more."

"So no one else knows what happened tonight?" Justin had a predatory gleam in his eye.

'_What an idiot! He really thinks we're that stupid!'_ Joe thought, but played along. "Not yet."

"I see." Justin leaned back against the desk. "And how many people know about your little theory?" he asked Joe mockingly.

"Just Frank," Joe answered innocently. "But it isn't just a theory, is it, Justin? It's a fact. You really did steal the money didn't you? And framed Kara for it."

Justin didn't respond verbally. He simply smiled and turned around to face the desk.

"And it was a good plan, too," Joe continued, knowing most criminals loved to brag about the crimes they committed. "If you'd only waited until the day Kara was arrested to stop the transfers, you would've been home free."

"Stupid mistake on my part," Justin admitted.

Joe turned to Frank excitedly and gave him a thumbs up.

"You're right, I shouldn't have stopped the transfers so soon, but I panicked."

"So you admit you stole the money? Not Kara?" Joe pressed him.

"Of course I stole the money!" Justin snorted. "Kara Lidster is like the patron saint of honesty. If those bumbling cops had bothered to do any kind of real background investigation on her they would have found that out and _I_ would have found out her best friend was engaged to a private detective," he said scornfully. "I would've gotten out of town before now and saved a whole lot of trouble."

'_Gotten out of town before now?' _The words echoed in Frank's head, setting off alarm bells. Glancing back over his shoulder into the foyer, he finally noticed what had seemed out of place when they first rushed in, what hadn't been there earlier in the evening – suitcases.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Joe look over at him, probably to see what had drawn Frank's attention away from Justin. A movement by the desk caught his eye as Justin spun around aiming a gun squarely at Joe's chest. "Joe, get down!"

Throwing himself at his brother, Frank heard a gunshot, quickly followed by a second. There was the sound of shattering glass and then nothing but darkness.


	23. Chapter 23

Thank you stophittingme, special agent Ali, Kenna C, lexifisher, whashaza, Surreal Epiphany, Vee 22 and Polaris for the reviews. :-) They took my mind off my poison ivy… * Scratch, scratch, scratch… * :o

I promise, no cliffhanger at the end of this one. ;-)

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 23**

Frank tackled Joe and dove to the floor as more shots were fired. He rolled out of the way of the glass shards raining down on them, taking his brother with him.

"He shot out the lights! Stay put!" Frank hissed for the benefit of Fenton and Sam. He didn't want the police to come storming in with flashlights, possibly giving Justin a perfect shot at them. "Joe, are you hurt?"

"No, you?" Joe replied quietly.

"No." Frank flinched as another bullet hit the wall just above them. "Split up and stay low!" He gave Joe a shove.

Crawling along the floor, Frank crouched behind a large chair, trying to visualize the layout of the room. Being intimately familiar with the room, Justin had them at a distinct disadvantage. As if to emphasize that fact, Frank heard a grunt and a thud as Joe obviously ran into something in the dark. Another gunshot rang out, followed by the sound of shattering glass. Frank felt a blast of cold air, indicating Justin had shot out the large picture window on the front of the house. Hearing a sound behind him, Frank quickly scrambled away as Justin fired wildly at him, the bullets landing harmlessly in the back of the chair.

…

On the opposite side of the room, Joe winced and squinted into the darkness, letting out a sigh of relief as he saw Frank's silhouette scurrying along the floor.

'_This guy is working my last nerve!'_ Joe thought angrily, wanting nothing more than to pound Justin Hahn into the pavement. Suddenly there were three more shots in rapid succession, one of them hitting the desk Joe was hiding under. Wood splinters rained down on him as something heavy rolled off the desk and landed on his forearm.

'_Ouch! What the heck?'_ Patting the carpet around him, Joe's fingers closed over a round object. He hefted the large, heavy item trying to figure out exactly what it was and smiled grimly. _'A paperweight.'_

Looking up, Joe could see Justin's dark shape standing in a corner. His arms were extended in front of him and he was slowly panning the room, ready to shoot the first thing that moved. Quietly Joe crawled from under the desk, paperweight in hand and his eyes glued on the shadowy figure of Justin Hahn. _'One good shot, that's all I need…'_

Suddenly the room was filled with light as a car turned onto the street, it's headlights flooding the room. Joe saw Justin smile and take aim at Frank who had been caught in – and blinded by – the illuminating beams of light. Anger mixed with adrenaline as Joe wound up and let the paperweight fly a fraction of a second before gunshots broke the still night air. Joe heard a cry of pain, a thud and then… nothing.

oooOOOooo

_"Joe, get down!"_

Frank's shouted warning came over the receiver and resounded through the car, followed by the sound of gunshots and then a deathly silence. Fenton Hardy held his breath, suddenly fearful of what might be happening to his sons.

"What happened?" Vanessa asked her voice shaky.

Exchanging a grim look with Sam, Fenton reached over the seat and grasped Vanessa's hand tightly. Struggling to find the words to reassure her when he wasn't certain of exactly what was happening himself, he was saved as Frank's hushed voice filled the car once again.

_"He shot out the lights! Stay put!" _

"What's going on?" Vanessa repeated. "Are they all right?"

"They're okay, honey," Fenton reassured her. "Frank would have said something if they weren't."

As the words left his mouth, more shots were fired, followed by unnerving silence. While Vanessa clutched his hand even tighter, Fenton found himself wishing he had insisted she stay in Bayport. Seeing Joe get thrown into the bay, bound and gagged, watching as Fenton dove repeatedly, unable to find him, and having to literally breathe life back into him once Joe was found had taken more of a toll on Vanessa than Fenton had anticipated.

The sound of shattering glass snapped his attention back to the house, as the front window seemed to explode. Still more shots rang out, as something on the street caught Fenton's eye and panic seized him. _'No!'_

A car was turning onto the street, its headlights aimed straight through the broken window. In the split second that the room was flooded with light, Fenton saw Justin take aim and fire. Darkness engulfed the room again. A cry of pain echoed through the car. A body was heard falling to the floor with a thud, followed by nerve-wracking silence…

oooOOOooo

Waiting in the silence for some clue as to who had been hit, Joe swore he could hear his own heart pounding in his chest. Slowly, quietly, Joe made his way to the spot where he'd last seen Frank. Fear for his brother was overriding concern for his own safety. "Frank?" he whispered harshly.

"Right here." The familiar voice was so incredibly close Joe almost jumped out of his skin.

"Geez, give me a heart attack why don't you?!"

"All clear, Dad. Come on in." Frank chuckled, imagining the look on his brother's face and then deftly kicked the gun out of an unconscious Justin's reach. _'No sense taking any chances.'_

In seconds, the room was overflowing with police officers. They immediately set about turning on what few lights remained after the wild shootout and restraining Justin, should he regain consciousness before being transported. Sam, Fenton and Vanessa quickly followed. Vanessa raced to Joe's side and flung herself on him. Wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, she held on for dear life.

"I'm fine, Baby, not a scratch on me," Joe insisted to no avail, although Frank noted Joe didn't seem to mind Vanessa's undivided attention at all.

"What happened after the lights went out?" Fenton asked, looking his sons over for any sign of injury.

"Hahn used us for target practice," Joe replied dryly, still entwined with Vanessa.

"Lucky for us it was dark, he's a lousy shot and Joe has a wicked fastball." Frank winked at his brother and then turned to Sam Peterson. "Did you get enough to reopen the investigation?"

"Absolutely. He admitted it flat out that he stole the money and framed Kara and we have it on tape thanks to you two," Sam confirmed, as one of his officers waved to him from across the room. "Excuse me."

"Joe," Fenton looked his son in the eyes, "you did an excellent job. Even when some of us pressured you to stop, you wouldn't give up. Thanks to you, an innocent person won't end up in prison. I'm very proud of you, son."

Joe stared at his father, momentarily speechless. While Joe never doubted his father's love for him, Fenton Hardy rarely showed his feelings and emotions in public. For him to make a speech like that, even in front of Frank and Vanessa, Joe knew it was something very special.

"Thanks, Dad," Joe finally said. "I was just doing what you taught me."

Smiling, Vanessa removed her arms from around Joe's neck and grasped his hands, the expression on her face changing to one of concern. "Joe, you're still cold!"

He shrugged it off. "Just a little."

"Well the doctor gave me strict orders to take you home and put you to bed and I intend to follow those instructions to the letter," Vanessa told him, rubbing his hands.

Joe raised his eyebrows suggestively, leaning close to Vanessa. "I think I'd recover a lot faster if you crawled in there with me."

"Just try and keep me out," she replied saucily, closing the gap between them and kissing Joe hard.

Frank rolled his eyes and made a gagging sound. "Could someone dump a bucket of cold water on them?"

Fenton's eyes twinkled with amusement. "I think cold water is what started this whole mess."

Frank threw another glance at Joe and Vanessa who were still joined at the lips and threw up his hands in defeat. "They're like rabbits in heat," he muttered walking away. Fenton followed him, laughing out loud.

Sitting on the couch waiting to see if Sam needed any more information from them, Frank watched Vanessa fussing over Joe, and realized how much he missed Callie. _'I might enjoy teasing them,'_ he thought as Joe and Vanessa shared another intimate kiss, oblivious to the police officers bustling around them, _'but they sure have the right idea.'_

"Hey Dad, can we wrap this up soon?" Frank asked, suddenly wanting to hold Callie in his arms. "I'd like to go home and see my wife."

oooOOOooo

It was well past midnight when Joe crawled into bed, exhausted and still a little chilled. Settling back against the pillows, he smiled recalling Kara's reaction upon being told she'd been cleared of all charges. She had thrown her arms around Joe's neck and hugged him fiercely, much the same way Vanessa had done earlier. Uttering a never-ending string of '_Thank-you'_s_, _she cried tears of happiness.

'_I could get used to beautiful women throwing themselves on me.' _Joe smiled and decided it would be best not to share _that_ thought with Vanessa.

When Kara had finally released him, Tony had impulsively scooped her up in his arms and planted a kiss on her that almost made Joe blush. He'd looked at Vanessa questioningly, who responded with raised eyebrows, indicating she had no idea Tony and Kara's friendship had progressed that far.

'_They both deserve it,'_ Joe decided, having grown to like Kara over the past few days. Yawning, he snuggled deeper into the layer of thick blankets and closed his eyes, finally starting to feel a touch of warmth begin to chase away the chill that thus far had refused to leave. A moment later, he felt Vanessa slip into bed next to him and smiled, reaching out for her. "Mmmm… c'mere and make me warm," he murmured, attempting to pull her close.

Vanessa placed a firm hand on his chest, stopping any further movement. "Joe, we need to talk."

Joe's eyes flew open. _'Talk?! Uh-oh, what'd I do now?!'_ He frantically tried to think of what he could have done to set Vanessa off, coming up with nothing. "Um… okay," he said uneasily, pushing himself up on one elbow. "What did you want to talk about?"

Vanessa sat up, suddenly taking great interest in her fingernails. "I-I need to apologize." Her voice was quiet and she raised her eyes only slightly to look at Joe.

"To who?" Joe asked, confused.

"To who?!" Vanessa stared at him, dumbstruck. "To YOU! What I did was _wrong_! It was unforgivable!" she said miserably.

Joe sat up next to her, having no idea what she was referring to. "Huh? What exactly did you do that was so horrible?"

Vanessa swiped at her eyes, roughly wiping away a few tears. "Blackmail."

"Blackmail," Joe repeated. The more Vanessa tried to explain, the more confused he became.

"Yes!" Vanessa exclaimed, obviously anguished. "Emotional blackmail! You don't do that to someone you love!"

"Listen, Babe, I can see you're really upset about this… this… _blackmail_ thing," Joe began, trying to calm his fiancée. "But I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

Vanessa drew in a shaky breath, studying her fingernails once more. "When I first asked you to help Kara, before you found any evidence to even suggest she'd been framed, did you believe she was innocent?" she asked softly.

Joe was caught off guard by the question, not quite sure how to respond. "Ah… well… um… I guess I wasn't really sure about that," he hedged.

"You thought she was guilty didn't you?"

"I wasn't completely sure she was innocent," Joe replied lamely.

"Joe, why didn't you say something?!"

"Uh… you didn't ask?" It came out sounding more like a question than an answer.

"You're right," Vanessa agreed miserably. "And I should have. At least then I would have known you really didn't want to investigate and all the trouble with Frank and your dad would have been avoided and-"

"And an innocent woman would have ended up in prison," Joe finished for her. Reaching out, Joe gently lifted Vanessa's chin, looking her in the eyes. "_You_ believed she was innocent and I gave you my word I would do the best I could to find out if she had been framed. Once I did that, what I believed didn't matter."

"Yes, it _did_ matter, Joe! Keeping your thoughts to yourself made it so much easier for me to use your love for me against you."

Joe shook his head and chuckled slightly. "Maybe it has something to do with being stuffed in a footlocker, tossed in the bay and used for target practice, but I have no idea what you just said."

Vanessa reddened slightly and couldn't help but laugh along with him. "What I'm trying to say is I'm sorry. I never once asked you what _you_ thought or how _you_ felt. I knew deep inside you'd do anything I asked and I took advantage of that." Putting her arms around Joe's neck, she leaned closer to him, staring into his eyes intently. "What I'm trying to say – besides I'm sorry – is that it's okay for us to disagree sometimes."

Joe slipped his arms around her waist and sighed, seeing she had a valid point. "I didn't want to let you down. I guess I thought if I told you I didn't believe in your friend quite as much as you did…" he trailed off and shrugged his shoulders.

"You could never, _ever_ let me down." Vanessa moved closer, leaned in and kissed him passionately.

When she finally let go, Joe smiled at her roguishly. "I think I could get used to disagreeing with you."

"And why is that?"

He slid down under the covers, pulling Vanessa down with him. "Because we get to _make up_…"

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone who has been reading this story. Only one more chapter to go to tie everything up with a nice big bow and then we're done with yet another Hardy adventure. :-)


	24. Chapter 24

And so we come to the end. Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who reviewed. Your comments always made me smile and sometimes just plain laugh out loud! To those who also offered constructive criticism, thank you for helping me to become a better writer.

To everyone who read this story, thank you for thinking enough of it to invest your time in reading it. :-)

Finally, for those who asked, yes there is another story. I hope to start posting it in the next few weeks.

**Love and Loyalty**

**Chapter 24**

Callie Hardy looked out at the people milling about in her living room and smiled. The small group of friends had attended high school and college together and remained close. Not wanting to drift apart and lose that closeness as they each embarked on their own lives, the friends instituted a get-together at least once a month, with each of them alternating hosting duties.

Tonight, it was Frank and Callie's turn to provide the accommodations and food for Chet Morton, Liz Webling, Phil Cohen, Biff Hooper and Tony Prito and their significant others, as well as Joe and Vanessa.

"I wonder where Joe and Vanessa are?" Callie mused to her husband.

"Who knows," Frank shrugged. "Maybe they got _sidetracked_ again." He rolled his eyes, letting Callie know exactly how he felt about getting _that_ much information from his younger brother.

Callie laughed at Frank's chagrin." Even Tony and Kara are here. Everyone seems to like her."

While tonight was the first time most of their friends had met Kara, the tight-knit group had quickly accepted her as both an old and dear friend of Vanessa's and the new woman in Tony's life.

Frank scanned the room once more, thinking maybe Joe and Vanessa had arrived without his noticing_. 'Fat chance!'_ he thought, sarcastically_. 'Joe can make an entrance without even trying.'_

"Hey, Frank, we're out of dip!" Chet called out, holding up an empty dish.

"God forbid – no dip," Frank said dryly. "I'll get it," he told Callie. Waving to Chet in acknowledgement, he headed for the kitchen.

A moment later, the front door burst open and Joe and Vanessa bustled in. Joe stopped just inside the foyer next to Callie and scanned the group of people, frowning.

"Where's Frank?!" he demanded.

"In the kitchen-" Callie began but her words hung in the air as Joe took off for the back of the house in a rather big hurry. "Hello to you too, Joe!" she called out before turning to Vanessa. "What's his problem?"

"Beats me." Vanessa shrugged off her coat and quickly changed the subject, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "I can't wait for Saturday!"

"I know, me too! Who else is coming?"

"Besides Joe? Mom, of course, and Laura and I asked Kara – hey, there she is!" Vanessa waved to her friend and rushed off to greet her.

oooOOOooo

Barreling into the kitchen, Joe almost flattened his brother who was on his way out with a tray of chips and dip.

"Hey, watch it!" Frank cried out. "I want to eat this stuff, not wear it!"

"Forget about the stupid dip!" Grabbing the tray from Frank, Joe tossed it haphazardly on the counter, oblivious to the chips that went flying off the tray. "Man, I am in trouble – _big_ trouble!" he said dramatically.

"Oh?" Frank leaned back against the counter nonchalantly. Earlier in the evening Callie had told him about Vanessa's plans for Saturday and knew immediately that's what had Joe so tied up in knots_. 'This is gonna be so much fun…' _Frank thought, biting back a smile.

"You gotta help me, bro," Joe pleaded. "It's a matter of life and death!"

"Really?" Frank expertly concealed his amusement. "Whose?"

"MINE!" Joe exclaimed, agitated.

"Okay." Frank radiated calm, knowing how much it would annoy his brother. "What's the problem?"

"It's Vanessa." Joe began pacing the floor, his hands waving in the air. "She wants me to go to a…a…a _bridal fair_!" He shuddered as the words left his mouth.

"When?" Frank's calm demeanor was getting Joe more worked up by the second.

"Saturday!" Joe wailed pathetically. "_ALL DAY_!"

"I see…" Frank furrowed his brow in concentration. "So, what's the problem?"

Joe whirled on his brother. "What's the _problem_?!" He repeated in shocked disbelief. "It's SATURDAY!" He shook his hand vigorously for emphasis. "_Saturday_! Weekend. Sports. Male bonding! I promised the guys I'd play center in a pick up hockey game on Saturday!"

Frank arched an eyebrow. "Ah, the truth comes out. You'd rather spend the day with your buddies than Vanessa."

"Hey, I never said that!" Joe retorted hotly.

Frank looked at him curiously. "You didn't?"

"No! I didn't!" Joe scowled.

"Then there's no problem. You go to the bridal fair and make your fiancée happy." Frank shrugged and turned to leave the room.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Joe snatched him back by the arm.

"What?" Frank rolled his eyes pretending to be annoyed, secretly wishing their father were here to witness Joe's meltdown over a bridal fair. _'One of my great joys in life, little brother, is pushing your buttons from time to time. And you make it sooooo worthwhile.'_

"Come on genius, help me come up with a way to get out of it, huh?" Joe pleaded.

"Get out of it?" Frank said disapprovingly. "I thought Vanessa was the love of your life?"

"She is!" Joe snapped defensively.

"I thought you were hopelessly in love with her?" Frank continued egging Joe on.

"I am!" Joe reddened as the anger built.

"I thought you'd do anything for her?" Frank fired his final dig.

"I would!" Joe cried out.

"Except spend Saturday at the bridal fair?" Frank asked sardonically.

"But… I… we…" Joe sputtered. Realizing he'd been had, Joe stopped and stared at Frank pathetically. "Come on, Frank, you're my best man. Don't make me go through this torture alone," Joe begged, now resigned to spending his Saturday at the bridal fair. "I'm your baby brother. You said it yourself – you love me. You'd do anything for me. _Please_…" The last word came out in almost a whimper.

Frank rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he studied his younger brother who was staring at him pitifully. "You know, you're absolutely right. I'm your best man. More importantly, I'm your older brother. It's my job to look out for you."

Joe nodded vigorously. "Right!"

"To protect you," Frank continued.

"Uh-huh." Joe nodded again.

"Help you whenever you need it," he finished seriously.

"Exactly!" Joe exhaled with relief. "Thanks, bro. I knew I could count on you. I can't imagine a bridal fair will be _fun_, but at least with you there it'll be tolerable."

Frank held up his hands and backed away a few steps. "Whoa, who said I was going to the bridal fair with you?"

"You did!" Joe exclaimed, now in a panic. "Just now! You said so!"

"What I _said_ was I'd look out for you and help you out," Frank corrected him, with an air of superiority. "And I will. It just so happens I just got my skates sharpened. I'll take your place in the hockey game. That way you can relax and enjoy the bridal fair, knowing your team isn't playing one man short." Frank smirked and once again turned to leave.

"Noooooo!" Joe wailed tugging on his arm. "You can't let me go there all alone!"

"Don't worry, Joe, you won't be alone." Frank patted him on the back reassuringly. "I'm sure Mom will be there, too. And Andrea. Callie…" Frank ticked off the names as Joe shrank back, horrified. "Mrs. Shaw will probably go along just for nostalgia's sake. I'm guessing Van will ask Kara to go… and all her bridesmaids…" He laughed as Joe started hyperventilating. "Easy, bro," Frank said soothingly. "Try and look on the bright side."

"There's a bright side?" Joe asked hopefully.

"Yeah, after this one you'll probably only have to go to one or two more. Callie dragged me to three of them before we got married."

"_Three_?!" Joe squeaked, suddenly looking pale. "I think I need to sit down."

"Here you go, buddy." Frank pulled out a chair, watching as Joe sank into it and laid his head down on his folded arms. "Take a few deep breaths," he said chuckling at how pathetic Joe looked.

"You don't have to be so happy about it," Joe said sourly, his voice muffled. Looking up, he glared at Frank for a moment and then his blue eyes sparkled with a flash of enlightenment.

"Wait a minute!" he exclaimed, a smile lighting his face. "We could elope!"

Frank stared at him for a moment and then burst out laughing.

"What?" Joe asked, puzzled. "You don't think Vanessa would go for it?"

Frank pulled out a chair for himself and sat down, the bewildered look on Joe's face sending him into another fit of hysterics.

oooOOOooo

As the two brothers returned to the festivities, they were bombarded with questions and requests for a first hand accounting of Justin Hahn's capture. At Tony and Vanessa's urging, Kara had related the story of how she ended up being arrested and charged with embezzlement. Vanessa then took up the story, proudly announcing Joe had not only found the key piece of evidence indicating Kara had been framed, but also figured out who the real thief was.

As Joe concluded the tale of the shootout at Justin's house, Biff looked at his best friend and shook his head in amazement. "You're like a cat with nine lives."

"Either that or he's just damn lucky." Frank eyed his younger brother dubiously, still not quite able to figure out how Joe always managed to cheat death even when it seemed impossible.

"So all's well that ends well," Chet said.

"Not necessarily," Kara corrected him. "Mr. Galloway is still really upset about the whole thing. He treated Justin like his own son. Although right now he's more concerned about his daughter, Chloe – Justin's wife – than he is about the missing money."

"Yeah, Dad said he was pretty angry," Frank confirmed. "He threatened to kill Hahn with his bare hands."

"Wait a minute, you've talked to Uncle Brad?" Joe asked Kara, confused.

Tony looked at Kara, surprised. "You haven't told them yet?"

She shrugged. "Everything happened so fast I haven't had a chance."

"So tell us now!" Vanessa requested excitedly, seated very close to Joe on the floor.

"Mr. Galloway called me yesterday morning and asked me to come into the office. First he apologized for everything that happened and said despite how it turned out, he was glad to find out I wasn't the thief. Then he offered to hire me back." Kara beamed, waiting for the murmurs of congratulations to subside. "He gave me back pay and a long term contract commitment with the company that includes a promotion, a huge raise _and_ stock options!

"AND," she continued halting the 'oohs' and 'aahs', "he's arranged to loan me the money to pay off all my creditors. The profits from my stock options will be used to pay him back so I can keep my full salary. Once the loan is paid off, the profits will revert back to me," she finished, practically glowing with happiness.

Vanessa leapt up and hugged her friend tightly. "K, that's wonderful!!"

"It is," Kara agreed. "And none of it ever would have happened if not for Joe." She looked at him gratefully, her eyes shining brightly.

"My hero," Vanessa murmured, settling down next to Joe and bestowing him with a lengthy kiss of thanks.

"That's just the beginning." Tony smiled, urging Kara to continue.

"I put a down payment on a townhouse yesterday. I sign the papers next week and the realtor said I can move in next weekend." Kara related her good news.

"That's awesome!" Vanessa enthused, genuinely happy for her friend. "Joe will be happy to help you move, won't you honey?" she winked, turning to Joe and squeezing his bicep.

"Sure," Joe agreed good-naturedly. "And Frank would love to help too, wouldn't you, big brother?" he challenged.

"Oh, absolutely," Frank deadpanned. "And I know Biff won't want to miss out on the fun, would you big guy?"

"'Course not," Biff grinned, catching on and looking at Chet with a gleam in his eye. "And I know my good buddy Chet wouldn't turn down the chance at a day or two of hard labor."

"Fine." Chet rolled his eyes and glanced at Phil.

Before Chet could say a word, Phil held up his hand. "I volunteer to take down her computer system and set it up in the new place."

"Way to go, Cohen," Joe chided him. "Avoid all the _hard_ work!"

"Maybe you'd like to try setting up the computer, eh, Hardy?" Phil challenged.

Joe laughed. "No, no, no, that's okay. I assume Kara actually wants it to work once it's all set up. That would count me out. I'll leave that up to you and my brilliant fiancée." Joe smiled at Vanessa.

"Hey, what about your brilliant older brother?" Frank protested. "Why can't I help set up the computer instead of lugging all that heavy stuff around?"

"Because this is your big chance to see how the 'dumb jock' half lives." Joe winked at Biff, who had heard that comment just as often as Joe had throughout their school years. "You can find out what it feels like to use your brawn instead of your brains."

"That's not the only good news Kara has," Tony announced, as Frank wadded up a napkin and tossed it at his brother. "Go ahead, tell them," Tony nudged her.

"I'm getting a new car," Kara said, obviously excited at the prospect.

"Oooh, what kind?" Callie asked.

"Um, I don't know yet. I haven't really started looking."

"Joe can help you pick out a great car!" Vanessa offered.

Kara laughed at the way Vanessa kept volunteering Joe's services to help her. "Thanks, Van, but I think he's done more than enough for me already. He proved I was framed and kept me out of prison."

"Of course he did," Vanessa agreed, kissing Joe on the cheek. "I never had any doubts!"

"Here, here," Biff concurred, slapping his friend on the back.

"That's my kid brother," Frank said proudly. "And I taught him everything he knows," he added jokingly, seeing Joe start to squirm under all the attention.

"I'd be happy to help you look for a new car if you want me to," Joe assured Kara, blushing slightly at the praise.

"Thanks, I'd love your advice."

"Anymore good news?" Chet asked, popping a fried cheese stick in his mouth.

"Well, I'm planning a vacation. It'll be my first one in over three years."

"Really?" Tony asked, surprised. Kara apparently hadn't shared this piece of news with him yet. "Where are you planning to go?"

"Italy. I didn't make it there last time I was in Europe and I hear it's just beautiful."

"As a matter of fact it is." Tony stood and extended his hand towards Kara. "You know, you'll need a good tour guide while you're there. Someone who's familiar with the country," he continued as he pulled Kara to her feet and led her to a quiet corner of the room. "Have I ever told you my grandparents still live in Italy? I've been there many times to visit them…" His voice faded out as he and Kara crossed the room.

Joe watched as they settled on the love seat, dangerously close together, sparks flying between the two. Turning back to his friends his eyes twinkled with mischief. "I don't _ever_ want to hear you guys calling _me_ 'Romeo' again!" he ordered, as they all laughed in response.

oooOOOooo

A short time later, Joe and Vanessa snuck out onto the deck to take in the romantic sight of a full moon and star-filled night sky. Vanessa snuggled closer to Joe for warmth and slipped her arms around his neck.

"Kara looks so happy tonight, doesn't she?"

"Happy?" Joe laughed. "That's putting it mildly. She's walking so far off the ground I'm afraid she'll float away. And Tony isn't exactly down in the dumps, either. I think it's safe to say, _"Debbie who?"_ he joked referring to Tony's ex-girlfriend.

"Things are finally starting to look up for Kara," Vanessa agreed happily. "And us, too. Next week we'll be at Montage Ski Resort with Frank and Callie, nothing but fun and romance for a whole week." Her eyes gleamed with excitement. "And NO MYSTERIES!" she admonished, wagging a finger at Joe.

Joe grinned, holding two fingers aloft in a salute. "No mysteries, scout's honor."

"I've got plenty of things in mind to keep you occupied," Vanessa whispered seductively, pressing her lips firmly against his.

Joe happily let himself get lost in Vanessa's passionate kiss. _'I just bet you do…'_

THE END


End file.
